Chop shop operator sentenced to 10 years

A Columbus man who stole at least 35 vehicles and made more than $500,0000 selling parts from them was sentenced Friday in federal court to 10 years in prison.

James A. Imes, 50, of the Hilltop, was convicted for operating a chop shop and trafficking motor vehicle parts, earning between $10,000 and $15,000 a week, up to almost half a million dollars, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's office in Columbus. Imes also was convicted of removing or altering vehicle identification numbers and releasing refrigerant chemicals into the environment, the release said.

Court documents showed that Imes kept two of the vehicles for personal use but sold the rest as parts or scrap, mostly to salvage yards from January 2013 to April 2014. He operated three chop shop locations on the West Side, disguising his business as a diesel mechanic shop. But court records state Imes said the real purpose of his business was to "cut up stolen trucks."

More valuable parts were sold on Craigslist through posts advertised in cities across Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Michigan and West Virginia.