TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A multi-state, multimillion-dollar car theft ring has led to the arrest of eight folks, in keeping with the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Center District of Florida.
Federal prosecutors introduced three of these people have been indicted by a grand jury for allegedly stealing high-end automobiles throughout the state, together with in Tampa Bay.
Ten regulation enforcement businesses labored collectively to uncover this ring and investigators consider there are nonetheless extra auto theft ring members on the market.
U.S. Legal professional Roger Handberg mentioned the boys are automobile thieves with focused tastes. In 11 months, they allegedly stole at the least 91 dear automobiles that they knew have been in demand, investigators mentioned.
In accordance with the indictment, between June 2020 and Might 2021, three males allegedly stole at the least 91 high-end automobiles all through Florida with the intent to promote them.
“The worth of the stolen automobiles totaled almost $4 million,” Handberg mentioned.
Handberg mentioned Michael Serrano, 34, of Lehigh Acres used his trucking firm to move the stolen automobiles to California. As soon as there, Julio Sanchez, 35, of Redwood Metropolis, California, used his enterprise to promote the automobiles, and 56-year-old Angel Mares, additionally of California, would retailer stolen automobiles.
Hanberg mentioned what units this auto theft ring other than others is the sheer measurement of their operation with victims spanning throughout the state.
“Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Miami, Dade, Pasco, Pinellas, and Polk counties,” Handberg listed.
Court docket paperwork reveal the automobiles have been stolen from: dealerships, houses, parking garages and companies. Handberg mentioned they’d goal luxurious manufacturers like Porsche together with high-end loaded pickups from Toyota, Chrysler, and Ford.
They found out a option to take the automobiles at any time when they wished.
“Members of the auto theft ring magnetically hooked up digital monitoring gadgets to automobiles they supposed on stealing so they might hold observe of the whereabouts of these automobiles,” he mentioned.
The boys would allegedly use an digital key fob encoder to program clean key fobs to start out the automobiles, prosecutors mentioned. They have been accused of altering the VINs, then transporting them to California.
“Sixty-five have been recovered,” Handberg mentioned. “That is unimaginable end result, and it is because of the devoted work of a big group of investigators.”
Handberg mentioned that is only the start. State and federal investigators and prosecutors won’t relaxation till all members of this auto theft ring are held accountable.
Handberg additionally mentioned the thieves used expertise, and the detectives used science by testing blood and DNA samples from proof discovered contained in the stolen automobiles.
