Police say commercial vehicles went unpaid for more than a year
LOWER BURRELL, Pa. — A New Jersey man is facing felony charges after police alleged he stopped making payments on multiple leased vehicles and failed to return them to a Western Pennsylvania business.
Lower Burrell Police charged 46-year-old Jeffrey Nichols in connection with the alleged theft of commercial vehicles leased from a Lower Burrell business.
According to investigators, the business owner told police that Nichols leased three vehicles in 2021 but stopped making payments in July 2025.
Police said the owner made repeated attempts to contact Nichols by phone, text message and mail but received no response.
The business eventually recovered two of five leased vehicles through a vehicle recovery service. Investigators said Nichols was still believed to be in possession of two tri-axle dump trucks and a Chevrolet pickup truck.
Authorities in Berks County attempted to contact Nichols at his listed address, but no one answered the door. Police said an eviction notice had been posted at the residence.
In mid-July, the Reading Police Department recovered the Chevrolet pickup truck from a parking garage after determining it had been reported stolen.
Nichols has been charged with two counts of theft of leased property and receiving stolen property.
The charges are allegations. Nichols is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Key Points
- A New Jersey man is accused of failing to return leased vehicles to a Lower Burrell business.
- Police said payments on the leased vehicles stopped in July 2025.
- The suspect faces charges including theft of leased property and receiving stolen property.
