Dragnet - Season 5 - Episode 34 - The Big Deal

[Music] ladies and gentlemen the story you're about to see is true the names have been changed to protect the innocent [Music] this is the city Los Angeles California I work here it was Tuesday June 12th was hot in Los Angeles we were working the day watch out of auto theft division my partner's Frank Smith the boss is Captain Nelson my name is Friday the recovery rate of stolen automobiles had dropped far below normal evidence pointed to an organized gang of car thieves we had to break it up [Music] who is it Joe Friday you a launch oh just my partner anybody know just us keep it quick can't be too careful why what's the matter landlady oh yeah just saw me doing the washing says they should throw me out if she ever caught me at it again oh you know high class of palm won't have an automatic washer but not this old that sure turn out pretty good you want to see me about something Joe yeah just a couple of questions I'm not in the fire am I not with us you're still working at the garage night shift now checking it for this got something doing my job all we figured maybe you could give us a hand that's a switch what are you looking for a lot of cars going someplace lately we're trying to find out where and who's driving them thought maybe you might have heard a rumble you got anything but do any good that goes outside we won't open the door I supposed to be three people in on it what do you know about him two men and a woman they say the two fellas are heavy any names no they're playing it close to the chest even the rumbles not solid uh-huh a couple of days ago I talked to a guy down at the garage he was tell me about the operation said it was big does he know the people well enough that he tried to get a piece of the accident but they're not cutting it up can we talk to this guy I can't stop you I can't give you a hand either what do you mean can't tell you where to find him does he come around the garage much once in a while nothing regular what's he do for a living drives Oh stock car races they got a name everybody calls them tops that's all I know about him they give you any details on the operation I didn't ask for him I figure the less I know about deals like this the less trouble I'll get into yeah any warden what they're doing with the cars I didn't hear none they turn it up no not where we can find him ask armed pretty good huh - good what's the pattern where all the cars are taken in the early morning hours from in front of the owners houses jumper wires probably all late models they don't touch anything that isn't fully equipped any special make no long as the car has a radio and a heater white sidewall they wanted well know where they're getting rid of them you tell us out of the country maybe it doesn't figure whitey we've had the border check San Diego's working on that two of the jobs we had the broadcast out within a half-hour after the car was taken couldn't turn anything it just seemed to disappear we must have a big parking lot you said the two men were heavy huh that's right how'd you come up with that a guy who had told me the story miss Bella tops yeah well he asked for a piece of the action the roof fell in blaming guy got real rough so there wasn't gonna be any split mmm so tops the gun said of anything about the operation got out he'd use it if you get a description of these men know it stop stop I'll tell you where they hang out uh uh okay whitey if you hear from him again let us know with you sure call you at the office if you would I wish I could give me a more I'll nose around see what I can pick up appreciate that might have something for you the next couple of days well if you do it'll put you way ahead huh we've been on in two weeks now we got nothing [Music] the first theft had occurred on Saturday May 26th since then 24 more automobiles have been stolen in each theft the same em all occurred possible outlets for stolen cars had been kept under 24-hour surveillance the stats office had made runs on each theft and the general mo when the list was returned to us and checked we were no closer to the suspects Frank and I ran the name and the description of the man known as tops through the moniker file there was no record on such a person two more days passed another car was stolen people in the vicinity were questioned without result Saturday June 16th auto best man yeah oh yeah and you holding there you'll be right out yeah thanks Joe why do you just call from the garage what about tops you just walked in Frank and I left the police building and drove over to where Wilbur Evanston was employed why he had told Frank on the phone that we could find tops in the office at the rear of the garage [Music] your name cops yeah that's right police officers what's this all about just want to talk to you that's all well I ain't done nothin no reason to Ross me around you're not being aroused what's your real name Roger Grayson what do you do for a living when I can get a car I race stock cars yeah we're around different tracks you live here in LA some of the time what do you do when you're not racing I make a buck here in there ah no different jobs you know whatever I can pick up you're working now no they're gonna go back east next week I think I can line something up maybe you've got a lot of time to kill but I haven't why don't you tell me what this is all about so I can get out of here you ever been arrested huh you heard what I said have you ever been in jail yeah what charge they didn't make it stick what was it Grand Theft Auto or money Otto did you do any time I told you they didn't make it stick where'd all this happened Idaho is that your only arrest a couple of times for bag they hold you know give me a flutter come on you guys are after something what is it you know anything about some car thefts are on town lately you'll have to look someplace else let's go downtown might be easier to talk there all right what do you guys want to know whatever you can tell us okay I was in this bowling alley one night two fellas came in had this gal with him fellas were both kind of gassed who sat down next to me we were just watching the games they started talking I heard one of them mentioned something about cars yeah my ears stood up it's like saying something about a new camera run a photographer as soon as I hear the word cars I start to listen they were having a beef one of them said something about unloading right away the other guy said they should wait for a while dump them all at once yeah well he stood there and argued for a while then one of them seen I was listening he leaned over and said something to the other guy next thing I knew I was surrounded one on each side leaning on me uh-huh I didn't want any trouble I could see these two guys had a pocket full of it I went along with him what happened they asked me if I liked what I heard would you say I told him I didn't hear anything said I had very bad ears well they didn't believe it tried to push me around manager came over and they moved away what happened it came back told me if I said anything they'd get me one of them had a gun he kind of pulled his coke back I could see it in his belt uh-huh did you try and cut yourself in on the deal no we heard you did not true I told whitey that but it never happened why'd you tell him it did trying to be a big man I guess are these two fellas they hang around this bowling alley all the time first time I ever saw them there where is it Hollywood Boulevard near Rossmore he said something about a woman yeah you sure she was with him she came in with him left with him they have a car who knows when they shoved off I stayed where I was thinking maybe they were waiting for me didn't leave the place until just before 2:00 all right Grayson we'd like you to come downtown look at some mug books if you would what's the matter you've know him if you saw him again wouldn't you yeah I'd know that's not the problem what is well they know me [Music] we took Roger Grayson down to the police building and had him checked mug books he was unable to identify the suspects we ran his name through the record section and found that he had no arrests in the state of California he was released local broadcast on APB's were put out carrying the description of the suspects which Grayson had given us another week passed without result Monday June 25th 231 p.m. where do you live well you should report to the Hollywood station that's on Wilcox between sunset and Santa Monica 13:58 North Wilcox they'll be glad to take your report ok thanks what was that all about stole a bicycle kid left it in front of his house came back and was gone yeah yes sir I'd like to talk to someone about a car come right in thank you care to sit down mr. right here mrs. Frank Smith my name is Friday I do I'm Joe Penna all right mr. Bennett what can we do for you I think I bought a stolen car [Music] why do you think the car was stolen well it's something funny about it the whole thing where's the car announcer outside down the other street would you happen to have a license number yes do you want it well we like check it out yes sir yes I got all the information Thanks Lipton yeah thank you I'll run a make on it okay I hate to put you to so much trouble that's perfectly all right sir it's our job sure make me feel silly Mama's wrong about this I just happened to buy the car well I own a little place out in the valley sort of restaurant and cabins for tourists I think it's quite a ways out we don't do too much business but it's a living and we work pretty hard yes sir and this fella came in day before yesterday it was Saturday and he sat down had something to eat and we started talking nothing important uh-huh he said he was on his way back east looking for work he had a lot of trouble lost his job and all yeah well he had this new car parked outside and he wanted to know if I knew someone who would take it off his hands of the bargain he said he just bought it a couple of weeks ago and paid cash for it and loaned it out right and he felt kind of badly about having to take such a loss on it but he didn't have know enough to buy gas for it I see well I asked him how much he wanted for it he quoted me a price $200 under wholesale well that looked like a pretty good deal to me so I took him up on it just like that no sure I was careful but maybe I wasn't careful enough a lot of other fellas come in and try to sell me things and I learned the hard way so I asked him if he had any proof to show me that he really owned the car did he have any proof yes he showed me the pink slip and told me where he bought the car from tomorrow service out in Hollywood did you contact them yes I put a call through right away what'd they say well I talked to a couple of secretaries before I got the sales manager he checked these records and told me the car had been purchased there he even gave me the man's name who bought it uh-huh it seemed like the guy was a square shooter pink slip where he bought the car everything looked on the up-and-up yes sir so I turned to check over to him and he gave me the car right away I asked him if I could give him I live someplace and he said no he was gonna hitch a ride and that he would cash the check Monday that would be today yeah so I went down the bank to make a deposit before the trick clear yeah it already had the cheque the bank told me was cashed the minute they opened the doors and that got me worried him being so anxious to get the money right away how about it it's stolen all right I had a feeling I checked the reports in the mo yeah sounds like the gang we're after while the victim Joel panicked looked through the mug books Frank and I picked up the check the suspect had cashed the name on the pink slip Ralph Prescott had been run through our and I they had nothing on him the check was sent to Larry Sloane and handwriting for analysis there was no question that the pink slip was a phony we checked the phone book for a listing on the Brompton auto service but we found nothing the victim had made a note of the phone number and from it we were able to obtain the address where the telephone had been installed it was a large office building on 7th Street Frank and I talked to the superintendent mr. tad Jay Whitney now this is where they were uh-huh when they move out you know Oh sometime over the weekend I'm not sure of the day I'm off Saturday and Sunday I see how long they have the office a couple of weeks said they wanted it for a month and paid in advance told me if things worked out they'd take a lease yes sir guess things didn't work out did they leave any forwarding address no not as far as I know what can you tell us about him well I talked to him a couple of times he seemed nice enough what kind of business were they in did they say well not in so many words he said they were testing a new product and all their business would be on the phone did they pay for the office by cheque or cash cash they use the name of any kind oh you don't think I understand you well did they call each other by name yeah when they were looking to place over do you remember what names they used let me think a minute well the way it comes to me now one was called Wesley and the other was Ralph no last names though no I didn't hear him what about the woman Lerner I remember that when they introduced her Nicky Lerner you haven't cleaned the office since they left well no we haven't gotten around to it yet all right fine we like to have some men go over the place sure I'll be glad to help any way I can all right can you come downtown and look at some pictures for us of criminals well the possible suspects yes you mean to try to pick them huh that's the idea well will it take long what I'm getting at is I don't have a car and I usually take a bus home and the buses don't run very often lately evening well we'll see that you get home mr. Whitney oh no I wouldn't want to put you to that trouble it's pretty far out no trouble at all no I'd rather you take me where I can get a bus whatever you say otherwise I don't know what Emma would think might scare her half to death how's that if I was to come home in a police car [Music] we took the superintendent down to the police building but he was unable to identify the suspects the crime lab crew went over the office but they failed to find any physical evidence another week passed during that time we had reports that four of the stolen cars had been sold the circumstances in each case were the same in each instance we checked out the address the suspects have used as a front but without result Tuesday July 3rd [Music] what are you doing tomorrow what fourth of July well that's right we're having a picnic soon as I get home from work I'll be a little late to start outlawed it we're not going anyplace as I said you're having to think well we eat in the backyard Oh every year since I can remember we've had a 4th of July picnic as soon as it gets dark we shoot off the fireworks fountains and sparklers and stuff you and I'll set them off well that'll be nice safer for the kids that way I don't that Friday yeah oh you did sure it'd be worth checking anyway you bring him over here okay fine yeah thanks a lot Maude over in forgery they just picked up a printer he's been catching a lot of phony checks yeah they checked his plant yeah bought a stack of phony pink slips sergeant Howell Mott brought the suspect in he told us that the man's name was Harry Lara well and that he'd been arrested on suspicion of forgery when Mott and his partner searched the man's home they found a printing press which the suspect had used for printing fraudulent checks Frank and I took the suspect to an interrogation room under questioning he admitted the check forgeries but he denied any knowledge of the automobile registration slips do you printed them didn't shall our well well well did your didn't you I guess so don't you know yeah I put it on oh for nobody well come off at Laura well honest I just did it for kicks for practice huh huh do you think that story will hold up in court well that's the truth sure it is look I copped out to the forgery rap what more do you want we want to know about those pink slips I told you I was just working out for practice that's right how many forgery counseling got you one I don't know for sure take a stab at it 10 or 12 I guess how much that'll add up to good for certain you can do 1 to 14 on each count I'm still you like I make em run consecutively well come on Laura well why'd you print the slips well suppose I tell you then well that's not up to us the judge will find out when we'll put it down that way well a couple of guys I know I did it for them what guys listen Ralph thought it was their idea they offered me a deal a thousand dollars for a hundred slips well I needed the money yeah after I made him up Ralph said they only wanted 45 of them we got into a beef about it he won what do you mean I gave him forty-five pinks he gave me 500 bucks you know where these fellas live I couldn't pin it down to a street number you've got an idea apartment someplace out in Hollywood the girl live there - you mean Nicky that's right sure she's Ralph's wife must be with him when'd you see him last yesterday what about Ralph called me on the phone wanted to set up a meeting uh we had a cup of coffee together all three of you just Ralph from Wes what they want the rest of the pink slips said things were going so well they could use them all did you make a deal yeah I was supposed to deliver the slips this morning your friends kind of interrupted me where are you gonna meet him drugstore on Sunset corner of oak wood and sunset what time by 9:30 guess I'm not gonna make it well they won't be disappointed huh we'll take your place [Music] the three suspects were taken into custody while other teams of detectives questioned the two men Frank and I interrogated the Prescott woman all right if I smoke sorry with us Thanks you ready to tell us about it miss Prescott anything you want to know all right let's start with the stolen cars I'm afraid I'm going to need an ashtray right in front of you the police think of everything don't they which I know about the cars is that what Ralph's been up to it wouldn't surprise me I'll bet it wouldn't I never really trusted him Wes either for that matter mm-hmm of course they never told me a thing about it oh sure no really sergeant well if I'd known they were breaking the law I'd have reported it myself even my own husband I wouldn't stand for anything like that then why were you in on it too you've got no right to accuse me just because a woman's married to a man you can't blame her for what her husband does three of the victims made phone calls to fictitious dealers they talked to a woman she was supposed to be a switchboard operator I assure you I have never worked the switchboard in my life there wasn't any switchboard exactly but you were on the other end of the phone wouldn't that be rather difficult to prove your husband and his pal have been running dummy offices all over town oh we can put you and a half a dozen of them I've tried to be a good wife sergeant I've spent a lot of time with Ralph yeah I guess I was wrong about him but when you're in love it's easy to make mistakes I'm sure you know what I mean sergeant I'm not responsible for my husband's actions any more than he's responsible for mind now that I know what he really is of course that washes us up actually I'm grateful the whole thing came out I wouldn't want to go on living a lie then why don't you stop lying I'd get angry if I thought you were serious you listen to me miss Prescott you're in this up to your neck you think your husband to be happy with you running around loose while he's doing a stretch in prison Ralph wouldn't want an innocent person to suffer least of all me and I'm sure the police feel the same way don't you sergeant what about Wes Bolton what about was you think he's gonna dearly out - he might you got them both on your side is that it everybody's on my side sergeant not quite oh come on now I'm not so bad I don't mean to brag but I've always been a popular girl people take to me I don't know why but they just do even you I'll bet you could like me if you'd give yourself half a chance could I sure why don't you relax what have you got to lose Ralph we'll be out of circulation for quite a while yeah well then so will you [Music] on November 9th trial was held in Department 97 Superior Court of the state of California in and for the County of Los Angeles in a moment the results of that trial the suspects were tried and convicted of grand theft auto 5 counts grand theft auto is punishable by imprisonment for a period of from 1 to 10 years in the state penitentiary [Music] Mary Frances larva was tried and convicted of forgery eight counts he is now serving his term in the state penitentiary San Quentin California [Music] you

Channel: The Film Detective

Views: 217,591

Keywords: tv, TV, Classic TV Show, Film, Movies, Dragnet - Season 5 - Episode 34 - The Big Deal, Jack Webb, Ben Alexander, Olan Soule, Vic Perrin

Id: UgYOhwBvICo

Length: 25min 55sec (1555 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 20 2018