Swick Guilty as Charged, Stares Down 30 Years for Car Thefts

LIVINGSTON COUNTY – A jury returned a guilty verdict on all charges on Thursday for a Dansville man arrested for the thefts of three cars in Dansville and numerous petty thefts from unlocked vehicles in Livingston County.

Christopher Swick, 30, is now facing more than his own lifetime in prison for felony Burglary in the Second Degree, felony Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, felony Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree, felony Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree, misdemeanor Petit Larceny, misdemeanor Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree, and misdemeanor Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle.

Swick, represented by Assistant Public Defender John D’Arpino, refused a plea offer by the Livingston County District Attorney’s Office of a guilty plea to the burglary and 10 years in prison.

At a Dec. 3 court appearance, D’Arpino said that he intends to file a notice of alibi, meaning that he intends to attempt to prove at trial that Swick was somewhere else during one or more of the alleged incidents. However, Judge Cohen ruled against that, saying that D’Arpino had failed to file the paperwork in a timely manner and would not be able to present such evidence.

Assistant District Attorney Victor Rowcliffe called numerous law enforcement witnesses to the stand to testify as to the specific locations of each crime and the details surrounding the investigations.

Judge Cohen, who is presiding over the trial, indicated in the past that if Swick is found guilty, he could be sentenced to consecutive, or accumulating, prison time for each count. The total prison time could add up to more than 30 years.

Swick was arrested as a suspect in the thefts of three cars and many other petty thefts from parked cars in and around Dansville. He is accused of stealing and joyriding a pickup truck through the woods, badly damaging it in the process. An Avon man, Luis Santos, 20, was accused of riding passenger while Swick allegedly drove the truck through the trees.

The investigations into the alleged incidents were jointly investigated by the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, Dansville Police Department, and Mount Morris Police Department.