A U.S. federal court has charged six individuals over an alleged car theft and trafficking network that reportedly shipped stolen vehicles to buyers in the United States and Ghana.
Charged in the indictment are Jacob Hernandez, 29, of Los Angeles; Dustin Wetzel, 23, of Woodbridge, Virginia; James Young, 23, of Hyattsville, Maryland; Khobe David, 24, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland; and Chance Clark, 25, of Waldorf, Maryland. One additional defendant remains at large and is considered a fugitive. The indictment against that defendant remains sealed.
According to a 15-count indictment unsealed in the District of Columbia, the suspects are accused of stealing at least 20 vehicles across Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania and transporting them across state lines for resale.
Investigators believe the wider network may be linked to more than 130 vehicle thefts in Washington D.C. and Maryland.
Authorities say the group used electronic devices to reprogram cars and gain access using blank key fobs. The stolen vehicles—mainly newer models of Honda and Acura—were allegedly moved to storage locations, including a parking facility in Southeast D.C., where their identities were altered by changing licence plates and tampering with vehicle identification numbers. GPS and Bluetooth systems were also disabled to avoid tracking.
A related search was conducted at an auto storage facility in Decatur, Georgia, as part of the ongoing investigation.
Those charged include suspects from California, Virginia and Maryland, while one additional suspect remains at large. All six face charges of conspiracy to possess, transport and sell stolen vehicles.
The case is being handled by U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Metropolitan Police Department.
Prosecutors stress that the charges are allegations, and all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
