TOWN OF THOMPSON – An Ulster County man has been arrested on a charge of arson after his car was torched in the Town of Thompson.
On Friday August 23 at about 1:30 a.m., a patrol from the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a car burning in a field on Thompsonville Road in the Town of Thompson.
At the scene, deputies found the Monticello Fire Department extinguishing a 2018 Jeep Renegade Latitude that had been fully engulfed in fire.
About an hour later, deputies received a report that the Jeep had been stolen from the parking lot of the Resorts World Catskills. Deputies responded to the casino and interviewed Shane George, 21, of Napanoch, who was employed as a senior banker at the casino. He told the deputies that he was on a break at about 2:30 a.m. when he noticed that his car was missing.
“The sheriff’s deputies on the scene were immediately skeptical of Mr. George’s story,” said Undersheriff Eric Chaboty. “The Resort World casino is one of the safest places in the county and is heavily patrolled by both the sheriff and state police.”
As the investigation progressed, sheriff’s detectives determined that the vehicle theft was completely fabricated. On September 10, detectives arrested Naasiruddeen Alston, 21, of Napanoch, and charged him with the felonies of arson, criminal mischief and conspiracy. He was arraigned before Judge Michael McGuire and released on his own recognizance.
On September 12, arrested Shane George and charged him with the felonies of arson, conspiracy, as well as the misdemeanors of insurance fraud and falsely reporting an incident. He was arraigned before Judge Martin Miller and sent to the Sullivan County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.
On the same day of George’s arrest, the insurance claim that had been made against the vehicle was withdrawn.
Both men are due back in the Town of Thompson Court at a later date.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation is continuing.
