Requisition #4-166-22 issued by the United States Secret Service (USSS) to the General Services Administration (GSA) requesting “Purchase of four (4) Special Purpose Checker Vehicles (taxi cab equipped) with rear window defogger, defroster, undercoating, air Conditioning, commercial radio, including estimated deliver charge and dealer Preparation, for use by Secret Service in undercover and surveillance activities.”

The four (4) vehicles were to be delivered the USSS Field Offices in New York City, NY; Chicago, IL; Philadelphia, PA; and Los Angeles, CA. These are the only “Checker” vehicles ever purchased by the USSS.

Memorandum forwarded from M. Kerneklian, Chief, Administrative, Operations Division, USSS, Washington, D.C. to GSA indicating that the Checker V-8 to be delivered to the Los Angeles Field Office will not meet the anti-pollution standards established the State of California and thus requested the vehicle be equipped with a “6 cylinder, 250 C.I.D. engine.”

Checker “Automobile, Sedan, Taxi equipped” Serial #All640245596 shipped from Checker Motors Corporation, 2016 North Pitcher Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 to the USSS Los Angeles Field Office via the “Dallas and Mavis Forwarding, Inc., 4000 West Sample Street, South Bend, IN 46627.”

Vehicle delivered to the USSS Los Angeles Field Office with nine (9) miles on the odometer.

Special Agent In Charge (SAIC) Robert E. Powis, USSS, Los Angeles, CA, authors a letter to “Mrs. Clissie E. Rushing, Special Plate Unit, Department of Motor Vehicles, P.O. Box 1319, Sacramento, CA 95806 requesting issuance of “undercover commercial license in lieu of exempt plates similar to a California taxi-cab.”

Invoice #21636 in the amount of $578.90 from “Mac Farlane Communications & Electronics, Inc.” “This invoice represents total disguise installation of radio, installation of Yellow Cab Frequency, and installation of taxi meter into the new yellow cab assigned the Los Angeles Field Office.”

SAIC Powis authors a letter to “Mr. Elmore Brown, Department of Motor Vehicles, Registrar of Vehicles, Post Office Box 1145, Sacramento, CA 95809,” requesting CA/ 06581Y which was currently registered “to the United States Treasury Department, United States Secret Service” be re-registered to the following fictitious name and address: “Western Enterprises, P.O. 2887, Terminal Annex Building, Los Angesle, CA 90051.

Teletype from the USSS San Francisco Field Office to USSS Headquarters (Assistant Director-Investigations) requesting the transfer of “Checker Taxicab” (USSS Property Number 22280) from the USSS Los Angeles to USSS San Francisco due to the fact “the San Francisco Office could make good use of such a vehicle……”

Official Car Number 22280, “1974, Checker, 4-Dr Sedan (Yellow Cab)” transferred from the USSS Los Angeles Counterfeit Squad to the USSS San Francisco Field Office with 10,580 miles on the odometer.

SAIC Lawrence T. Oden, USSS San Francisco Field Office, authored a letter to “Mr. Larry Kimmey, Bay Area Taxi Company, 1830 Embarkadaro (sic), Oakland, CA, thanking him for allowing the use of his company name for “the execution of our official duties” and absolving him and/or his company of any responsibility for the operation of the vehicle.

The City of Oakland, CA, Oakland Police Department, issued “Taxicab Identification Emblem #1857” (Special Activity Permit No. 47969) with an expiration date of “31Oct83.”

This vehicle was parked, and covered, in the underground parking lot of the U.S. Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco, CA, 94102, when not being utilized in its official capacity (i.e., undercover and/or surveillance). All maintenance and repair records are within the “Car File.”

Vehicle, the only remaining “Checker” of the original four vehicles in service with the USSS was retired, and transferred to the care, custody, and control of Retired USSS Assistant To The Special Agent In Charge with 15,381 miles on the odometer along with all correspondence and records relating to the vehicle.

The vehicle currently has less than 17,500 original miles on the odometer and the vehicle remains fully functional as a taxicab and is in superb condition. The vehicle has been consistently parked in a garage and covered therein since being retired.

The vehicle still has approximately 17,600 original miles on the odometer and remains as indicated and in storage in Fresno, CA.