The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted six men for allegedly running a sophisticated international car theft ring that used specialized tech to steal dozens of vehicles for sale in the U.S. and Ghana.
The United States Department of Justice has unsealed a 15-count indictment against six individuals accused of operating an international auto theft syndicate that utilized advanced technology to reprogram security systems and transport stolen vehicles from the Washington metropolitan area to buyers as far away as Ghana. Prosecutors allege that the ring comprised of Jacob Hernandez, Dustin Wetzel, James Young, Khobe David, Chance Clark, and one fugitive targeted late-model Honda and Acura vehicles, obscuring their identities before shipment; consequently, officials stated that “A 15-count indictment was unsealed today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia and charges six individuals in connection with their roles in a conspiracy that allegedly stole at least 20 cars in the Washington metropolitan area and Pennsylvania, transported the vehicles across state lines, and sold the vehicles to buyers in the United States and the African nation of Ghana.”
Following a year-long investigation, authorities are now scrutinizing the group’s potential links to over 130 additional thefts, noting that “Law enforcement is continuing to investigate the defendants involved in this ring in relation to the theft of more than 100 vehicles in the District of Columbia and more than 30 vehicles in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Officers also executed a search warrant yesterday at an automobile storage facility in Decatur, Georgia, which is suspected to be linked to the auto-theft ring.”