Nine members of an auto theft ring allegedly responsible for stealing more than 60 high-end luxury automobiles with a total value exceeding $2 million over the last year have been indicted in an undercover operation.
Many of the alleged stolen vehicles were recovered in Michigan, Pennsylvania, North and South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Mexico. The automobiles were allegedly stolen using key codes surreptitiously obtained from auto manufacturers.
“A sweeping 14-month investigation dubbed ‘Operation Key Code’ that utilized both court-authorized wiretaps and surveillance has dismantled an auto theft ring that specialized in fulfilling demand for luxury automobiles by stamping new vehicle identification numbers (VINs) on stolen automobiles and selling them to out-of-state buyers,” said District Attorney Richard A. Brown.
According to Brown, each member of the ring had a specialized role in the operation such as:
The defendants have been charged in a 58-count indictment which includes enterprise corruption under New York State’s Organized Crime Control Act. Other indictments include grand larceny in the second and third degrees, attempted grand larceny in the second and third degrees, robbery in the second degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the second and third degrees and conspiracy in the fourth degree. If convicted, the defendants face up to 25 years in prison.
Based on the investigation, it is alleged that the defendants and others were members and associates of an organized criminal enterprise based in Queens that operated in the New York metropolitan area and stole automobiles mainly in Queens and Brooklyn.
Deshawn Eaddy was allegedly one of two bosses of the enterprise who coordinated the theft, lay up and disposal of the targeted vehicles.
Initially, Eaddy is alleged to have obtained keys for many of the vehicles through locksmith Aaron Perman, who, in turn, allegedly obtained the key codes (a code used in connection with the manufacture of certain automobile keys which enables only the key with the proper code to unlock and start a specific vehicle) which were needed to cut the keys from unindicted co-conspirator Anthony Harnow, an employee of Major Chevrolet located in Long Island City.
The keys were then regularly picked up from Perman and furnished to Eaddy by courier Melinda Mitchell who paid Perman $50 per key and, among other things, also faxed VINs to Perman.
Eaddy then allegedly directed defendants Ronald Ortega and Julio Marin — who were employed as “steal men” for the ring - to steal the vehicles.
Jose Tavarez is alleged to be the second boss of the enterprise. He directed brothers Jose B. Arias and Jose E. Arias in taking possession of the stolen vehicles. As alleged “taggers/brokers” in the ring, the Arias brothers’ job was to alter the stolen vehicles by replacing and/or altering the true VIN plates and NHTSA stickers and then broker the sale of these stolen vehicles to individuals who often resided out of state. In addition, Tavarez allegedly fulfilled several vehicle orders by stealing cars independently of Eaddy and using a second locksmith — defendant Giovanni Gigante.
