Seven Essex County men have been indicted on federal charges of conspiring to steal luxury cars from owners in Bergen and other counties and selling them in New Jersey and across state lines. Prosecutors announced Friday.
The Newark office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said five burglary suspects from Newark, two from East Orange, and eight men from Virginia who have not yet been arrested have been arrested since at least 2021. They said they operated throughout the area and stole 14 vehicles worth an estimated $550,000. release.
Earlier this month, HSI worked with multiple agencies to dismantle the ring and arrest the men for conspiring to receive, possess and sell stolen vehicles in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and other states. The department announced that charges had been filed.
According to court documents filed in the case, in Tenafly, a BMW He is suspected of stealing a Range Rover.
During the first week of July 2022, a 2018 Audi RS5 and a 2019 Land Rover Range Rover were stolen from a Ridgewood residence, and a 2021 BMW X7 was stolen from a Paramus residence, court filings state. Authorities said one of the suspects searched for “million dollar homes Paramus” on his cell phone, found a real estate listing site, and used GPS to navigate to the home where he allegedly stole the luxury car.
The complaint states that a BMW X5 was also taken from a Fair Lawn residence in 2022. The thieves also allegedly attempted to steal a Land Rover Range Rover from a car dealership in Englewood Cliffs on February 28, 2023.
Sting used surveillance video, browsing history, and plate readers
Authorities said the men communicated via text message, sending photos of the stolen car and negotiating the price. Records show the investigation included reviewing surveillance video, location data, public records searches, Internet browsing history, search warrants, and data from automatic license plate readers installed on street poles, highways, and police cars. Ta.
One of the men, Ahmad “Mahdi” Franks, 24, of Newark, faces additional charges for possession and transportation of a stolen vehicle, and reportedly spread hundreds of dollars in cash. The driver took a photo of his hand, which authorities say may help identify the new vehicle. Jersey inspection sticker and the make and model of a car that had been reported missing in South Jersey a few days earlier.
According to authorities, from November 2021 to July 2022, Franks exchanged photos of at least 400 known or suspected stolen vehicles with at least 12 co-conspirators.
Stolen vehicle used in other crimes
Some of the stolen vehicles were used in other crimes, including other vehicle thefts and murders, authorities said. On March 2, 2022, a 2022 Hyundai Palisade stolen from Hillside in Union County was used in a shooting in Newark, shooting three people and killing one, records show. The vehicle was later set on fire in Newark and ammunition was recovered from inside the vehicle, authorities said.
Shaquan White, 23, Nathan Braswell, 20, Ibn Bellamy, 24, and Zamir Wright, 20, all from Newark, were also charged. Ryan Bowen, 26, and Kylie Lawrence, 20, both of East Orange, were also charged. Muhammad Buhari, 45, of Woodbridge, Virginia, remains at large and has been charged with one count of selling, receiving and possessing a stolen vehicle. Bellamy also faces an additional charge of possession of a stolen vehicle.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Selinger said the investigation will work with law enforcement partners to “protect communities from a variety of crimes committed by those who seek to unjustly enrich themselves at the expense of our residents.” He said that this supports HSI’s efforts.
Bellamy and Lawrence were arrested on November 6 and made their first appearance in Newark federal court. The other defendants, apart from Buhari, who is missing, are already in custody on previous convictions and are scheduled to appear in court at a later date.
Email: lcomstock@njherald.com; Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH or on Facebook.
