Man arrested after police pull over stolen Jeep that was spray-painted

TOWN OF LERAY, New York (WWNY) - A St. Lawrence County man, already wanted by police in Potsdam, is now also in trouble in Jefferson County.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested 45-year-old Francis Green of Pierrepont on a felony count of third-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

He’s currently being held in the Jefferson County Jail on $20,000 bail.

It all started Tuesday evening when deputies were called to a home on Route 11 in the town of LeRay for a report of a burglary. Officials said the home had been entered, personal items were stolen, and a blue 2011 Jeep Compass was taken from the garage.

Later that same evening, while on patrol on Towne Center Drive in the town of Watertown, a state trooper spotted a vehicle with spray paint obscuring the rear license plate.

The trooper stopped the vehicle and discovered it was the stolen Jeep, which had been spray-painted black in an apparent attempt to disguise the vehicle.

The vehicle was occupied by two adults and a child.

State police arrested the driver, later identified as Green, on charges relating to the vehicle stop.

Green was later turned over to the sheriff’s office.

Green was arraigned Wednesday morning and sent to jail.

Officials say Green is a probationer in St. Lawrence County and has a warrant for an unrelated charge from the Potsdam Police Department.

The sheriff’s office said it recovered what it believes is stolen property from within the vehicle as well as from two separate hotel rooms in the towns of Pamelia and LeRay.

The investigation is ongoing and officials say more charges may be pending as more victims are identified.