Published: January 19, 2008 01:30 am      

Five arrested in alleged auto-theft ring

Five Southern Indiana residents — including three who are related — were arrested Thursday on suspicion of being involved in an auto-theft ring.

John Cozart Sr., 50, of Sixth Street in New Albany; John Cozart Jr., 27, of Pekin; Nicholas Cozart, 32, of East Oak Street in New Albany; Michael L. Gregory, 41, of Dona Street in Floyd Knobs; and John P. McCutchen, 29, of Vincennes Street in New Albany, are being held in Floyd County Jail for their alleged involvement in a Louisville Auto Auction theft, said Clarksville Police Chief Dwight Ingle in a news release.

Clarksville police, along with Indiana State Police, Clark County Sheriff’s Department, Floyd County Sheriff’s Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Department investigated the December theft and placed the suspects under surveillance, Ingle said. That led to a search warrant and the Thursday arrests.

The reported Louisville Auto Auction theft was of a 2006 customized Chevrolet Corvette, a 2006 Chevrolet Orange County Choppers custom pickup truck and a 1998 Mitsubishi SUV, Ingle said. The Corvette was valued at $48,000, while the truck was worth about $30,000.

The five men were arrested in the 500 block of East Oak Street in New Albany, where numerous car parts were found, Ingle said. They were booked on suspicion of receiving stolen property. John Cozart Sr. is also being held for alleged possession of a controlled substance.

The Cozarts and Gregory’s cases are filed with Floyd County Superior Court, while McCutchen’s case is with Floyd County Circuit Court. All five of the defendants had their rights read in a preliminary hearing Friday afternoon, but had not been formally charged by prosecutors.

Their initial hearings are set for Tuesday.

The Cozarts have a criminal record in Floyd County.

Nicholas Cozart has five additional pending criminal cases in the county’s judicial system, according to a check of court records. One case alleges that he committed burglary, theft and resisted law enforcement in February.

In that case, Cozart and another man allegedly broke into Carpet Corner alongside Vincennes Street in New Albany and stole about $50,000 worth of machinery and parts, according to a New Albany Police Department report. When police tried to arrest Cozart, he purportedly ran away. Cozart was released on a $100,000 court-cash bond in that case, and is set for an April 7 trial.

He also faces trials for multiple drug charges, including possession of methamphetamine, marijuana, a legend drug and a narcotic drug, records say. In addition, he is also awaiting trial on visiting a common nuisance, as well as a case where he allegedly committed unlawful use of a police radio.

In 1995, John Cozart Sr. was convicted of class A misdemeanor possession of marijuana in Floyd County. John Cozart Jr. is listed in Floyd County judicial records as being on a diversion program since 2005. He also was convicted of class D felony receiving stolen property in 1999.