UPDATE: Wednesday 3/25
LONDON, KY (WSAZ) -- A second Floyd County man has pleaded guilty to his involvement in a chop shop operation in Pike and Floyd counties.

Gary Keathley of Betsy Layne pleaded guilty to 13-counts during a hearing last week in U.S. District Court in London, KY

Keathley was originally indicted on 104 counts back in July 2008. He is set to be sentenced in July

Back in October, co-defendant, Marty Keith Hamilton of Betsy Layne , pleaded guilty to his role in the operation. He is scheduled to be sentenced in July

ORIGINAL STORY: October 2,2008
LONDON, KY (WSAZ) -- An automobile detail specialist pleaded guilty Thursday to owning and operating a “chop shop” in Floyd and Pike Counties.

50-year old Marty Keith Hamilton of Betsy Lane entered the plea in U.S. District Court in London, Ky.

Prosecutors say Hamilton, a contract employee for a local dealership, admitted that from February 2001 to August 2007 he stole approximately 60 vehicles. Hamilton stated in his plea that he kept duplicate keys from the cars brought to his garage for detailing, or used a key-cutting machine to create an extra key for himself.

Hamilton then placed a sticker with the dealership’s logo on the back of the cars he detailed in certain locations so that he could easily identify those vehicles at various business locations in Floyd and Pike Counties. Once Hamilton located one of these vehicles, he used the duplicate key to steal them.

Hamilton further admitted that he and an accomplice purchased donor vehicles from local dealerships and salvage yards. The men then took the legitimate VIN plates from the donor vehicles and placed them on the stolen vehicles to conceal the fact that the vehicles were stolen.

These vehicles were then sold to unsuspecting parties in 4 states.

Hamilton’s sentencing date has not been set.