Easton man charged with running auto 'chop shop'

EASTON, Pa. — An Easton man has been charged in connection with a recent "chop shop" investigation.

Angel Vidal, 49, was charged with felony counts related to owning, operating or conducting a chop shop, alteration or destruction of vehicle identification number, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property and other charges.

Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta announced the arrest Monday after Easton Police executed a search warrant at Vidal's home on Lehigh Street last week.

Vidal also faces 11 counts of tampering with records or identification, false identification to law enforcement officer, a misdemeanor charge of receiving stolen property and two misdemeanor charges of possession of an instrument of crime.

Vidal remains in Northampton County Prison in lieu of $60,000 bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 27.

Items to falsify vehicle numbers found

Baratta said in a release that the police department began investigating Vidal after a vehicle was stolen in Easton on April 25.

During the arrest and search, two additional stolen vehicles were located at Vidal's property, according to the release.

Police also found "fraudulent vehicle identification numbers [VIN] stickers, a label maker with a VIN stored in it [and] titles of certification for multiple vehicles," the release said.

Also found were "insurance-related documents, a tablet, three laptops, numerous printers and various registration plates, many of which were confirmed to be fraudulent or stolen" — all items associated with creating and altering VINs, the release said.

While there, officers also found two autel key fobs, described as "programmable smart keys that can replace the smart keys for many major car brands," according to the release.