Selling hot vehicles led to a dozen southeast Michiganders spending time behind cold bars.
The 12 were sentenced over the last year to jail or prison in what the Michigan Attorney General’s Office dubbed a large-scale criminal organization responsible for the thefts of hundreds of vehicles throughout six counties in the region and state.
The AG’s Office said in a Sept. 5 release nine of the people are from Detroit and one each from Wixom, Troy and Onsted in Lenawee County. The investigation into the ring was announced in May 2024.
State prosecutors said the ring targeted new vehicle storage lots at manufacturing facilities, car dealerships, parking lots and residences.
The stolen vehicles were sold below market value on the black market to buyers seeking unregistered vehicles. The ring operated in more than 40 jurisdictions in Oakland, Washtenaw, Macomb and Wayne counties as well as Eaton and Kent counties, according to the release.
News on the lastest sentencing, which occurred Aug. 27, came one day after a federal indictment was unsealed in U.S. District Court in Detroit against eight metro Detroit men accused in a separate sophisticated theft and international smuggling operation that targeted higher-end vehicles and spanned two years.
The types of stolen vehicles mentioned in the federal indictment included BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Bronco, Range Rover, Dodge Ram, Ford Mustang, Ford F-150 and Dodge Durango.
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In the Michigan Attorney General’s case, Troy Police began a stolen vehicle investigation in August 2023. The department was aided by state authorities and local law enforcement agencies in 17 communities from Auburn Hills to Livonia to Warren as well as countywide auto theft units in Oakland and Macomb counties.
“Together, they devoted countless hours to dismantling a large-scale auto theft ring that harmed communities throughout our state,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel stated in the release. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement and retail partners to hold those who engaged in organized crime accountable and to protect the safety and security of Michigans residents and businesses.”
When the first half-dozen arrests were announced in May 2024, Nessel indicated the ring was accused of stealing more than 400 cars over the last year, worth millions of dollars in southeast Michigan. The thefts included hundreds of new vehicles.
At that time, the AG’s Office indicated stolen vehicles had been linked to crimes such as armed robberies, weapons offenses, carjackings, murder and attempted murder. It said the group was suspected of using countersurveillance to steal vehicles quickly, allegedly shooting at officers and ramming security vehicles if confronted.
During a news conference in May 2024, Nessel said the thieves used computerized devices to reprogram key fobs, allowing them to enter new cars.
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Per the state prosecutor’s release Sept. 5, 10 of the people charged pleaded guilty to one count of conducting a criminal enterprise. Those charged with that offense and their sentences were:
Desmond Wilson, 22, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to one count of conducting a criminal enterprise and two counts of stolen property – receiving and concealing a motor vehicle. Wilson was sentenced to 18 months to 20 years, according to the release.
It indicated that Jerry Burton, 20, of Detroit, was sentenced to 91 days of incarceration after pleading guilty to one count of attempting to conduct a criminal enterprise and two counts of stolen property – receiving and concealing a motor vehicle.
Omari Roetherford, 22, of Detroit, was sentenced to 1 year of incarceration after pleading guilty to one count of stolen property – receiving and concealing a motor vehicle, according to state prosecutors.
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X: @challreporter.
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