Owner of auto recycler denies role in tow-truck car thefts

The owner of a Winnipeg company that recycles vehicles has accused an employee of using his tow trucks to steal autos from the streets of Transcona to sell for scrap metal.

Cory Ronnie James Fincaryk, 48, who owns Winnipeg Auto Recycling, and former employee Krystian Bialous, 52, have both been charged criminally. They have yet to go to trial.

The provincial government criminal property forfeiture office filed a civil claim in July that outlines the police investigation into the auto thefts.

In response, Fincaryk filed a statement of defence this month that claims he had no knowledge of the scheme.

“The defendants’… position is that Krystian Bialous was acting outside the scope of his authority, independently, and without the knowledge of the defendants… when he stole, damaged and sold vehicles,” says Fincaryk’s statement of defence.

“The defendants… (Fincaryk and his company, Winnipeg Auto Recycling) did not know the employee, Krystian Bialous, was engaged in unlawful activity or that he was using the property of… Fincaryk or… Winnipeg Auto Recycling to engage in unlawful activity.”

Fincaryk’s court filing says he and his company did receive cash from Bialous during the dates of the alleged criminal offences, but did not know it was illegally obtained.

He has asked the court to dismiss the civil claim and grant him costs.

The Winnipeg Police Service said in mid-July detectives had arrested two individuals and seized two tow trucks after a number of thefts were carried out by tow-truck operators. Police released few details, but in the court filing, Fincaryk and his employee are accused of illegally towing at least nine vehicles to a compound and selling them as scrap metal between July 2 and 14.

After lifting and driving off with the vehicles, the court filing alleges, they would tow the stolen autos to the compound in East St. Paul, where they would break windows and dent body panels before painting an acronym for the company’s name on the vehicles.

They’d then take the damaged vehicles to a scrap yard, officials allege.

The lawsuit doesn’t allege wrongdoing on the part of the scrap metal recycling company that purchased the autos.

In July and June, Winnipeg Auto Recycling sold 62 vehicles to the scrap metal company for about $40,000, the filing says. The company sold about $3 million worth of vehicles to the scrap yard from 2017 to 2024.

The civil forfeiture filing seeks to allow the provincial government to retain two tow trucks, a pickup truck, a trailer, money from some of Fincaryk’s personal and business bank accounts, and Fincaryk’s house as the proceeds of crime.

“The defendants… did not knowingly receive a material gain as a result of the unlawful activity,” claims Fincaryk’s court filing.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca