Police bust auto theft ring targeting cars in all 5 boroughs, Long Island and New Jersey
KEW GARDENS, Queens (WABC) -- Authorities announced the takedown of an auto theft ring, targeting all five boroughs of New York City, Long Island and beyond.
The massive crackdown was carried out by New York State Police and the NYPD, in Howard Beach, Queens.
The location was just one of nine across New York City.
Twenty people have been indicted as the ring leaders and masterminds behind 126 stolen vehicles from across the five boroughs, Long Island and New Jersey.
"The most are 52 cars in Queens, 25 in Brooklyn, 14 in Nassau, 10 from the Bronx, 10 from Westchester, and so on when you look at the board," said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
Katz, New York State Police and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, have dubbed the investigation "Operation Hellcat," beginning with thefts of Dodge Hellcats.
Guns, and a bin of confiscated real and dummy generic key fobs were on display.
The bogus ones were generic made to break into victims' cars.
"So a buyer would request, say 'hey I want a 2022 black Honda with brown leather seats,' they would go out and hunt that car, the scout team would hunt that car and would relay that location back to the steal crew," said NYPD Chief of Detectives Kenny.
The vehicles, valued at $4.5 million, were also advertised and sold on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Forty-four stolen vehicles were purchased by undercover NYPD officers.
"This wasn't a crew of one-off thieves, this was a sophisticated criminal enterprise with defined roles and clear hierarchy," Tisch said.
"One thing is abundantly clear about this case, the suspects had no regards for the people they victimized," said New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James.
Fourteen of the 20 defendants have been charged with enterprises corruption, which is a felony.
If convicted, they could face up to 25 years in prison.
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