License To (Allegedly) Steal

A Cedar Falls, Iowa man, already accused of marketing a bogus charity concert last year, can now add “accused thief” to his resumé, after being arrested for having a stolen license plate on his car.

The fourth-degree stolen property charge is the kind of stuff that turns up in “small town news” gags on late-night talk shows – a stolen license plate, allegedly attached to Dennis Earl Leahy’s GMC Jimmy, was spotted by a university campus cop in a Kwik Star parking lot in Cedar Falls.

Leahy is cooling his heels awaiting trial on somewhat more serious charges: Second-degree fraud charges for promoting a bogus benefit concert in March, according to the local Courier newspaper. The promoter is charged with promoting an event, including posting flyers including the names of charities that were not actually involved.

Local police found Leahy continued to distribute flyers and sell tickets after being told to stop, according to the paper.
Trial on the fraud case was scheduled to begin the day after the stolen license plate caper, but was postponed after the bust.