Police in St. Louis recently announced a huge bust that led to the arrest of 16 different people who were involved in a massive car theft ring. Police say that including others arrested in neighboring states, 21 men and women have been charged with their involvement in operating a chop shop to procure and then dismantle stolen vehicles.
Between the 21 people arrested, most of whom were in St. Louis, prosecutors handed down a total of 84 criminal charges including conspiracy, bank fraud, mail fraud and receipt of a stolen motor vehicle. The charges include fines of up to $1 million and prison terms of up to 30 years.
According to Missouri Revised Statutes 570.080, a person commits the crime of receiving stolen property if he or she receives or disposes of the property of another person knowing or believing that it has been stolen. The law says that receiving a stolen motor vehicle, watercraft, or aircraft qualifies as a Class C felony, which means that those convicted of the crime face a possible prison term of seven years.
Prosecutors say the scheme involved creating fake vehicle titles based on a Native American reservation and then stealing upwards of 120 different cars, mostly high-end vehicles, starting in 2008. Rather than simply jimmying open doors, the vehicle theft ring used more sophisticated financial tricks to steal the vehicles. The indictment says that the group used "straw buyers" to purchase dozens of new by getting them cars using that were obtained by inflating or down right lying about income and assets. These fake buyers then received money for handing the cars over to the others, knowing full well they would never repay the loans.
Not content to just steal the vehicles and defraud the creditors, prosecutors say several in the group also engaged in widespread insurance fraud, involving themselves in fictitious accidents and creating fake towing and repair bills for their insurance companies to reimburse. Some even complained of fake medical problems to collect more money.
The bust followed an 18-month investigation led by the FBI, Missouri Highway patrol, Missouri Department of Revenue and police from departments across the St. Louis area. Officials say the case represents the largest car theft ring ever to be prosecuted in the region.
If you've had a run in with the law and find yourself in need of a Missouri criminal defense lawyer capable of aggressively protecting your interests, contact our St. Louis criminal defense law firm today at (314) 863-0500.
Source: "Feds charge 21 in St. Louis-based car theft ring," by Robert Patrick, published at STLToday.com.
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