“Chop! Chop!” went the axe, and Mohammed Assi went “Cha-ching!”
That's how the Durango Police Department sees it. The owner of the Downtown Smoke Shop is suspected of felony theft and false reporting to authorities, a misdemeanor.
According to authorities Assi, 24, drove his white Ford F-250 to a remote location behind Wal-Mart or Home Depot and, using an axe, damaged the vehicle. He then parked the truck near Seventh Street and Main Avenue in Durango and reported it stolen.
The incident occurred in early January 2010, reports the arrest affidavit filed in 6th Judicial District Court.
The pickup had several dents and several 4- to 5-inch cuts on the tailgate and passenger-side door. The windshield was also damaged. After filing an insurance claim with Allstate, Assi was paid $10,579 and reimbursed $1,445 for a rental vehicle.
Assi, however, purchased the pickup in late 2009 for only $4,000, according the arrest affidavit. It is unclear how Assi collected more money for the damaged truck than he paid for it.
During a brief phone interview on Nov. 14 with The Durango Herald, Assi denied any wrongdoing.
Formal charges are expected to be filed soon. Assi is currently free on a $50,000 bail.
Police became suspicious of Assi's story in June 2010, when two people came forward reporting that Assi had damaged his own vehicle.
The police department, however, transferred its investigation to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation after Assi was involved in a tussle with a department officer. The incident occurred in July 2010, at a local bar. The officer, Jeremy Linch, has since left the department and pleaded guilty, in April, to disorderly conduct.
After several months, the case was transferred back to the Durango Police Department.
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