After a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) postal worker is robbed for his mailbox key, authorities find much more than just stolen mail. They find stolen cars and a crime ring in Detroit, Michigan.
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| A Dodge Challenger; Photo by Haidong Liang on Unsplash |
Some criminals have a need for speed and get their 5 seconds of fame burning rubber before it all comes to a screeching halt over a spike strip.
Yahoo! News published a story reported by the Associated Press (AP) that all started when investigators started looking into careless thieves in the Ohio area that have a penchant for stolen cars.
Police Investigate into a Robbery and Find Much More
Police stopped Devin Rice on 31 January 2022, on suspicion of robbing a U.S. postal worker in Shaker Heights, OH for his mailbox key. They searched Rice’s car and found stolen credit and debit cards, fake checks, stolen mail, and stolen vehicles — a Dodge with a Hellcat engine, a Ram pickup truck, and a Range Rover. (Source: Yahoo!/AP)
Along with Devin Rice, Hakim Benjamin, Jaylen Harris, and Lavelle Jones were also charged with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen vehicles, after being indicted in federal court in June 2022. All except Benjamin are also charged with mail theft and are expected to face trial in 2023. (Source: Yahoo!/AP)
After being caught, Jaylen Harris told the FBI that he and Lavelle Jones were contacting a crime ring in Detroit to get stolen vehicles and that these auto thieves “were selling to buyers in other areas, including Chicago and Indianapolis.” (Source: Yahoo!/AP)
In February 2022, Hakim Benjamin was driving a 2022 Dodge Challenger at 120 mph on Ohio State Route 2 until spike strips were laid down to stop him. Other cars with Hellcat engines have also been spotted traveling on Ohio State Route 2 at 140–150 mph that have eluded police. (Source: Yahoo!/AP)
AP spoke to Sgt. Jerry Hanna with the Macomb Auto Theft Squad.
He said:
“Thieves in the Detroit area are primarily going after Dodge vehicles with Hellcat engines, including Chargers and Challengers — ‘the fast ones.’…In the Detroit area they are selling them for like $3,500. Once they get that money in their pockets they go out and steal another one.” -Sgt. Jerry Hanna, Macomb Auto Theft Squad (Source: Yahoo!/AP)
Investigators are finding new Chargers, Challengers, and Ram pickups ending up in places like Indianapolis, Ohio, and along the East Coast at shipping ports. These stolen cars are being sold on the streets at prices between $3,500 to $15,000 USD. (Source: Yahoo!/AP)
Cars Stolen from Detroit Dealership Include Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
One example of auto theft took place in a dealership showroom northwest of Detroit, Michigan. A thief drove a Ram pickup truck straight through the showroom’s glass wall.
General manager Jeff Schneider of Szott Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Highland Township said,
“I think they were able to find some keys in a desk drawer and used them.” -Jeff Schneider, General manager of Szott Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram (Source: Yahoo!/AP)
Authorities tracked one of the stolen cars to a suburb northwest of Detroit after they crashed a $100,000 Durango SRT Hellcat into a brick wall. Police were able to recover other vehicles from the auto theft: a 2017 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, a 2021 Dodge Ram TRX, and a 2021 Dodge Durango GT.
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| Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat; Photo by Yahya S.,CC BY 2.0 |
Thieves Using Handheld ‘Pro Pads’ Can Clone Key Fobs
Some thieves are using more expensive technology, such as handheld electronic ‘pro pads,’ like what a professional locksmith could use to clone a key fob by plugging it into an internal port of a vehicle. (Source: Yahoo!/AP)
CBS 12 News reported that new truck owner Danielle Danboise parked her $75K "fully loaded" Ford Platinum diesel truck in her Port St. Lucie, Florida driveway and thieves stole it quietly without breaking glass or the alarm going off.
When she called the police to report it stolen, they informed her she wasn’t the only one that day. She was the 12th call of auto theft.
She recalled to CBS 12 News:
“Literally said you’re the 12th phone call since this morning and it’s 1 o’clock in the afternoon I’m like what? It’s insane.” -Danielle Danboise, victim of truck theft. (Source: CBS 12 News)
Port. St. Lucie Assistant Police Chief Richard Del Toro spoke with CBS12 News about the speed and sophistication of these auto thieves.
He said:
“Like I said, these are professional groups coming up here. It’s not their first rodeo. Like I said, they’re using sophisticated equipment…It’s impossible to say how each truck was taken unless it’s later found. But when police busted two Miami area men last year, they found key fobs and a tablet-looking device…We caught a couple of people that happened to have this type of technology on them and that’s why really alerted us to what was going on." -Richard Del Toro, Port. St. Lucie Assistant Police Chief (Source: CBS 12 News)
"They use the software on the tablet device to plug in underneath the dashboard, which downloads all the vehicle information and then able to program these key fobs and basically clone them.” -Richard Del Toro, Port. St. Lucie Assistant Police Chief (Source: CBS 12 News)
Sounds like technology is becoming the enemy, and criminals are embracing it.
What Will Auto Dealers do to Prevent Thefts?
What are auto dealers doing to try and slow these thefts?
In the meantime, some car dealerships have resorted to using low-tech methods of preventing auto theft of their expensive cars, such as steering wheel locks and parking boots.
In this world of technology, "low tech" is now becoming the best theft deterrent for criminals engaged in real-life Grand Theft Auto.
Sources
Loftholm, Andrew. “Gone in 60 seconds: how car thieves are cloning key fobs to steal in silence.” CBS 12 News. 24 February 2022.
Williams, Corey. “Postal worker holdup leads to muscle car theft ring arrests.” Yahoo!/AP. 16 October 2022.
