JAMAICA — Police shut down a $2.4 million luxury car theft ring Tuesday following an 18-month investigation.
Police arrested and charged 18 suspects, who are accused of stealing 48 high-end cars from dealerships in Queens, Manhattan and elsewhere in the tri-state area, the Queens district attorney’s office said.
The defendants allegedly changed the vehicle identification numbers on the stolen cars, which included models made by Bentley, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, before selling them, according to the DA’s office.
Prosecutors brought a long list of charges against the defendants, which included enterprise corruption and second-degree grand larceny, the DA said.
In addition to the auto theft charges, police said they discovered a narcotics ring that was allegedly operated by three of the defendants.
The defendants were arraigned in Queens Supreme Court earlier this week and will next appear in court Jan. 15.
