SCHOHARIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) – According to court documents released by the Schoharie District Attorney’s Office, a Saratoga Springs Mavis Discount Tire is accused of falsifying business records related to the limo involved in the deadly Schoharie crash.
The DA’s office says a former employee at the South Broadway location told them that he did not perform the DMV inspection but provided the New York State DMV inspection sticker needed for the inspection. He also stated that the limousine was occasionally linked on paperwork as a 2002 Excursion and a P350.
According to court documents, certain services were submitted on invoices for ones actually performed, in order for the “store to meet sales quotas established by the corporate office.”
Last week, a judge in the Schoharie limo case approved a request by the DA’s office to release this potentially exculpatory grand jury materials to the defense. Exculpatory means those materials could be in favor of the defense.
Nauman Hussain, the operator of the limousine in the fatal Schoharie crash, has pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.
Hussain’s attorney Lee Kindlon says the new information provided by the District Attorney’s office “further exonerates Hussain.”
Kindlon says the defense has filed a motion for dismissal based on these new grand jury materials.
A spokesperson for Mavis sent NEWS10 ABC the following statement:
“Many of the statements attributed to Mr. Virgil Park, a former Mavis employee, in the October 7 letter, as well as those made by Mr. Nauman Hussain’s criminal defense attorneys in the October 8 letter, are inaccurate or misleading.
Mavis is committed to providing high quality, safe, affordable services to our customers. Our service and billing policies are honest, fair and sound and we vehemently disagree with any allegations to the contrary. Mr. Hussain and his criminal defense lawyers are attempting to falsely attack Mavis in a desperate diversion tactic to shift responsibility away from Mr. Hussain, where it solely belongs.
The vehicle in question traveled more than a thousand miles over several months since it was serviced at Mavis. During that time, Mr. Hussain, according to the District Attorney’s Office and the New York State Police, committed serious crimes by, among other things, defying an order to take the vehicle out of service.
Our thoughts and condolences remain with the victims of this tragic accident. Mavis did not cause the accident, however, and bears no legal responsibility for it. Mavis continues to fully cooperate with authorities as a witness in the criminal case against Mr. Hussain.”
