CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A multi-state police task force has recovered 132 stolen vehicles allegedly connected to a multi-state car theft ring based out of Charlotte, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department announced Thursday.
The new numbers Thursday show the extent of the reported crimes, which the U.S. Department of Justice announced previously led to the arrest of five people.
"We started to see a trend of high-value auto thefts occurring at dealerships, apartment complexes, different spots in the city," Bret Balamucki, a lieutenant with CMPD, said Thursday.
A majority of vehicles stolen in the crime spree were Dodge Chargers and Challengers, according to police.
"These high-end stolen motor vehicles are believed to be connected in numerous other crimes in Charlotte and surrounding counties, to include alleged homicides, vehicle fatalities, drive-by shootings, armed robberies and other property crimes," CMPD Lieutenant Warith Muhammad said.
Within four months, approximately 50 different law enforcement agencies across 11 states have been working on the task force, according to CMPD. Since April, the joint law enforcement efforts have recovered 132 stolen cars with a total approximately value of $11.5 million. Investigators have filed a total of 500 felony charges related to the crimes.
CMPD alone has written 70 search warrants, according to officials. They have recovered approximately $210,000 in cash, 82 firearms, and a large amount of narcotics.
The following people are charged in the alleged scheme:
- 43-year-old Dewanne Lamar White of Sumter, South Carolina
- 24-year-old Garyka Vaughn Bost of Denver, North Carolina
- 27-year-old Kevin Ja'Coryen James Fields of Charlotte, North Carolina
- 25-year-old Hosea Fernandez Hampton Jr. of Charlotte, North Carolina
- 23-year-old Reginald Eugene Hill of Charlotte, North Carolina
Prosecutors claim the group would steal luxury cars from dealerships in several states before bringing them back to the Charlotte area. The group would then allegedly sell those models for well below market value.
Models stolen included Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Land Rover, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz cars. Additionally, other expensive examples from other manufacturers were included, like Chevrolet, Ford, and Dodge.
Prosecutors also said the thefts were handled in a number of different ways. In some cases, the suspects would allegedly pose as potential customers trying to buy the cars, only to swap the actual key fobs with similar ones and return to steal the cars using the stolen fobs. In other cases, the suspects reportedly would just break into the dealership after hours, find the keys in a lock box, and drive away with the stolen high-end models.
To evade law enforcement, federal prosecutors claim the defendants removed the GPS navigation and tracking systems from the stolen cars, affixing fake dealer tags on them, and replacing authentic Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), among other tactics.
All five are charged with conspiracy to transport, possess, and sell stolen vehicles in interstate commerce along with interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle. White, Fields, and Hampton are also charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
Prosecutors further said Bost, Fields, and Hill were typically the drivers in the conspiracy, while White and Hampton often paid them and others for their work in the scheme. The group also allegedly stole multiple cars simultaneously on several occasions.
The charge of conspiracy to transport, possess, and sell stolen vehicles in interstate commerce carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine. The charges of interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle and possession of a stolen vehicle each carry a maximum 10-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine.
The thefts reportedly happened in the following states:
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Georgia
- Florida
- Tennessee
- Kentucky
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Indiana
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Arizona
"We will not tolerate brazen theft schemes that cost businesses and consumers millions of dollars," U.S. Attorney Dena King said in a previously released statement. "I want to thank our federal and local law enforcement partners for their incredible work with this ongoing investigation that has led to today's charges."