Three Buffalo men busted for stealing bourbon and more from rail cars

Three Buffalo men are now facing federal charges, accused of stealing from CSX rail cars on multiple occasions.

Prosecutors say Paul Krieger, Ray Chrostowski and Nicholas Birdwell surveyed the rail lines from higher ground near Broadway and Bailey. When a train stopped in the Buffalo rail yard, the defendants allegedly opened a rail car and removed packages.

Investigators say two to four individuals have been caught on camera since May, stealing items from trains in a similar manner.

Police arrested the three suspects on Tuesday during an attempted theft. At the scene, authorities recovered a bolt cutter, a pope with a sharp edge and numerous packages hidden in bushes.

After a search warrant at a home on Wednesday, authorities seized a number of cases of bourbon that were believed to have be previously stolen from a rail car.

Krieger, Chrostowski and Birdwell are charged by criminal complaint with breaking into a rail car to commit larceny and conspiracy to break into a rail car to commit larceny. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.