NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – A man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to conspiracy and grand theft auto after a Flock alert helped police track down a stolen trailer containing stolen motorcycles.
According to officials, on Aug. 1, 2023, 42-year-old Ty David Tonioli stole a white enclosed 2020 Forest River trailer from Virginia Beach.
Between Aug. 2-11, both Tonioli and 37-year-old Richard P. Perkins additionally stole a 2010 Ducati, a 2019 Kawasaki and a 2019 Yamaha motorcycle from Norfolk — all of which were entered by local law enforcement into the Flock system.
On Aug. 11, Tonioli was driving on I-264, alongside Perkins and another passenger, in a pickup truck with the stolen trailer attached. Police then received a Flock alert and attempted to pull Tonioli over.
Police said Tonioli refused to pull over, continuing onto I-64 at speeds up to 95 mph. The pursuit ended after Tonioli ran out of gas. Shortly after this, Tonioli, Perkins and the other passenger were detained.
After being detained, Tonioli admitted to stealing the trailer, the Yamaha and the pick up truck, and both Tonioli and Perkins admitted to stealing the Kawasaki motorcycle and later trading it for the stolen Ducati.
In November of 2023, Tonioli pled guilty to two counts of grand larceny of an automobile, one count of selling stolen property and one count of felony eluding. He was sentenced to serve one year and seven months in prison in January.
On Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, Perkins also pled guilty to conspiring to commit grand larceny of an automobile and committing grand larceny of an automobile
“Mr. Perkins and Mr. Tonioli were able to steal multiple vehicles in a short time, but the police and the Flock system caught up with them,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said. “The responsible use of technology led to the quick arrest and conviction of the people who committed these crimes, all while avoiding unnecessary police-citizen encounters.”
Perkins is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 20, 2024.