A truck driver is accused of murdering the owner of an Illinois-based carrier whose business was set on fire on March 5, police said.
Josif Suclea, 52, of Scottsdale, Arizona, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of ATG Truckload owner Dane Koteski.
Koteski, 46, was killed at the offices of his trucking company in Crestwood, Illinois, on March 5, authorities said.
His body was found by firefighters, who were responding to a small blaze at ATG Truckload’s facility in Crestwood.
An autopsy determined that Koteski had been stabbed in the neck, and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death a homicide, police said in a news release.
Suclea was an employee at ATG Truckload, a 15-year-old carrier specializing in refrigerated freight, according to its website.
ATG Truckload has 25 power units and drivers, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Police said they believe Koteski’s death was a targeted attack. Surveillance cameras and eyewitnesses reported seeing Suclea at ATG Truckload before Koteski was killed and the fire started.
Suclea was arrested on Sunday at a truck stop in Holland, Michigan, police said. Suclea is being held without bail at Cook County Jail.
He was extradited to Illinois, where he was charged with first-degree murder. He has not been charged with arson.
According to court documents, Koteski allegedly told Suclea around Feb. 28 that ATG Truckload “was going bankrupt.”
Koteski allegedly “owed a substantial amount of money” to Suclea but was not able to pay him.
ATG Truckload has not formally filed for bankruptcy, according to court records.
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