Chenango County auction businessman arrested on arson, fraud charges

SMITHVILLE, NY (WBNG) -- The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Smithville man following a months-long investigation into a business.

On March 28, the sheriff’s office arrested Timothy R. Wakefield. The office said it was alleged that since 2018, that his auction business had been conducting numerous auctions throughout Chenango and other surrounding counties and had failed to pay the clients that auctions were being held for. Some of the victims were owed more than $25,000, the office said.

On Dec. 19, 2023, while detectives were investigating Wakefield’s auction business, dispatchers received a call from Wakefield’s residence, reporting a structure fire. Fire investigators responded to his address and investigated the blaze. The fire was deemed to be intentionally started, the office.

Then, on March 20, the Chenango County District Attorney’s Office presented evidence to the Chenango County Grand Jury into the Scheme to Defraud case regarding the business of Wakefield and evidence from the fire investigation at the Wakefield residence. The grand jury indicted Wakefield on the charges.

Wakefield was eventually charged with arson in the third; fourth and fifth degrees, scheme to defraud, grand larceny in the third and fourth degrees, petit larceny. he was released and is to reappear at a later date in the Chenango County Court.

Chenango County Sheriff Earnest Cutting noted that this investigation involved numerous hours and multiple search warrants.

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