Alleged strippers nabbed

Alleged converter thieves charged

As the result of a months long investigation into a surge of Catalytic Converter thefts at the end of 2022, Niagara Falls Police have charged 51-year-old Jacques Meness for his involvement. Meness is a resident of the Town of Niagara.

In the early morning hours of Dec. 19, NFPD patrol officers responded to a business in the 6900 block of Niagara Falls Blvd. for a report of a suspicious person. Upon arrival, officers heard a sawing noise coming from within a fenced in area of the business.

During a search of that area, officers located Meness hiding between some cars and took him into custody at that time. Meness has been in custody since the time of this incident on December 19th and remains in custody based on these charges, as well as other criminal charges.

The other charges Meness faces include an incident on December 7th, in which he is accused of cutting the converters off four vehicles that were parked at a business on Mckenna Ave. As well as the attempted theft of another converter in the 400 block of 18th St in Niagara Falls. Meness also stands accused of leading police from several local agencies on a vehicle chase, after a deputy from the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop him the morning of December

7th. Meness was arraigned on February 9th in Niagara Falls City Court for charges related to the December 19th theft. Those charges include: One count of Auto Stripping 1st degree, one count of Grand Larceny 3rd degree and nine counts of Criminal Mischief 3rd degree. Meness has already been charged with a total of four counts of Grand Larceny 4th degree, four counts of Criminal Mischief 3rd degree and four counts of Auto Stripping 3rd degree, along with one count of attempted Grand Larceny 4th degree for the December 7th incident.

Meness remains in custody at the Niagara County Jail and is due back in court on March 1 st .

A second suspect, Paul A. Porter, was also charged for his part in the Dec. 7 thefts. Porter was charged with four counts of criminal Mischief 3rd degree, four counts of Grand Larceny 4th degree, four counts of Auto Stripping 3rd degree, and one count of Attempted Grand Larceny 4th degree.

The investigation was led by the Niagara Falls Police Departments Criminal Investigation Division under the New York State Motor Vehicle Theft and Insurance Fraud Grant with assistance by members of the NFPD Patrol Division as well as the Niagara County Sheriff’;s Office, the Town of Niagara Police, and New York State Police in the apprehension of Meness and Porter.