NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y., Jan. 3 (UPI) -- A Canadian man arrested on a 15-year-old theft warrant while he and his family traveled to New York on a shopping trip says the whole thing is a mistake.
Franco Nardolillo, 40, was arrested as he crossed the Rainbow Bridge into Niagara Falls with his wife and young children and has been held at the Niagara County Jail since, the Toronto Star reported.
He was arrested Thursday on a Florida warrant concerning the sale of an allegedly stolen truck he purchased and later resold.
"This happened in front of our kids. This was a very traumatic experience for everybody and it continues to be so because we don't have any answers," his wife, Laura Nardolillo, told the Star.
Related
Nardolillo faces extradition to Florida on charges of grand theft and possession of stolen property. His Florida-based attorney, Chris Brown, called the incident a misunderstanding.
"If you didn't know that it was stolen when you bought it and you didn't know it was stolen when you sold it to another person then you haven't committed a crime. You're sort of a victim yourself. Our position is that's what happened here," Brown said.
Brown said Nardolillo has traveled to the United States since 1995 and doesn't understand why the warrant just now surfaced.
"If you put a warrant in the system, because it's the computer age it can be there for a hundred years until it's resolved. Why it wasn't picked up when he made previous border crossings, I have no idea," Brown said.
Brown said he will try to get Nardolillo released on bail.
"He's entitled to a bond. These are non-violent charges and they're very old charges," Brown said. "He doesn't really need to be here until he has a mandatory court appearance."
