Authorities said the men stole hundreds of cars, working in the dead of night, looking for Honda, Acura and Jeep vehicles.
NEW YORK (WABC) — Eight men have been charged in a years-long car theft ring that caused millions of dollars in losses, police and federal prosecutors announced Friday.
Authorities said the men stole hundreds of cars, working in the dead of night, looking for Honda, Acura and Jeep vehicles.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said the thieves worked fast. They cruised the streets of the city in the middle of the night. They knew exactly what they were looking for-and how to steal it.
"These thieves were very sophisticated, very complex. They were able to go 'old school' to break into the car, meaning popping the driver's side door lock. But then, they use computers to basically reprogram keys to match that car. So a theft would take less than less than 2 minutes to steal the car," he said.
According to the indictment, the men mainly targeted cars parked on the street in the Bronx or Queens.
"They loved the Honda CRV, anywhere from 2023 to newer. And for some reason, they really enjoyed stealing black Honda's white Hondas and they loved the dark interiors," Kenny said.
The alleged scheme, which lasted for at least four years, may have targeted as many as one thousand cars.
Investigators say the thieves drove the stolen vehicles into New Jersey, where they would forge new VIN numbers and then sell the cars to unsuspecting buyers through sites like Facebook Marketplace.
"They would alter the VIN, meaning change a few numbers on the VIN or change the VIN plate itself. Then they would take the car and build a history for that car. They would go get the car serviced at a Honda dealership. It has a history," Kenny explained.
The vast majority of the cars were Hondas, specifically late model CRVs.
United States Attorney Jay Clayton said that, as alleged, the operation caused "millions of dollars in losses."
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