Warren

Sheriff, police officials announce major auto theft bust

By Brian Louwers
C & G Staff Writer

53 vehicles recovered, 10 suspects arrested in sting operation

WARREN — If you need help beating car thieves, join them.

That’s just what undercover officers assigned to the Macomb County Auto Theft Squad did this summer when they set up shop in a Warren, earned the confidence of thieves and convinced them to turn over the vehicles they’d stolen for quick cash.

The ruse paid off, police said, leading to the arrest of 10 suspects thus far and the recovery of 53 stolen vehicles, worth a total of about $600,000.

Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel and Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer announced the results of the three-month auto theft sting on Sept. 26.

“The operation is pretty much done, but there are other things we’re doing,” Hackel said. “Obviously with the investigations and the additional crooks that we’re looking for, we’re actively seeking them right now.”

Hackel and Dwyer said officers assigned to MATS — an auto theft unit comprised of personnel from multiple jurisdictions coordinated by the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office — became aware of a loosely organized group of auto thieves operating on Detroit’s east side and in areas of southern Warren. The officers were able to gain access to an industrial building at an unknown location in south Warren, from where they staged an operation designed to gain the confidence of the alleged thieves and to convince them to turn over stolen vehicles for relatively small amounts of money.

“Auto theft is a real priority, especially in the city of Warren,” Dwyer said. “We come in second as far as auto theft. Detroit is number one and we’re number two. We set up a fake chop shop here in Warren, in an industrial building. That’s where we actually purchased 53 vehicles, and 10 men were arrested.”

Hackel said the amount of cash involved in the transactions between MATS detectives and the alleged thieves was in some cases as little as $200.

“They didn’t care what we did with them [the stolen vehicles]. They just wanted the money from us,” Hackel said. “For as little as $200, they’re stealing your car.”

The sheriff said the money used to purchase the stolen cars from the alleged thieves came from forfeitures, a donation made through the National Insurance Crime Bureau, and the state’s Help Eliminate Auto Theft program.

After the transactions were completed, arrests were later made using evidence obtained through surveillance equipment installed at the building, cross-referenced street names and other information provided by informants.

Nine adults, all men ages 17-21 from Detroit, had been arrested at press time on a list of felony charges, including receiving and concealing stolen property and intent to pass false motor vehicle titles.

One juvenile suspect, a 16-year-old Detroit teen, had also been arrested.

Hackel said investigators were also looking into whether a small number of the vehicles that were taken had in fact been incidents of insurance fraud.

He said all of the vehicles acquired by police had since been returned to their rightful owners and that MATS detectives had worked directly with the owners’ insurance companies.

The vehicles were allegedly stolen from locations across metro Detroit, including the city of Detroit, Warren, Harper Woods, Hazel Park, Eastpointe, Dearborn Heights and the Grosse Pointes.

The operation at the undisclosed sting location had concluded, officials said, but additional warrant requests and arrests were likely as the investigations continued to unfold.

Dwyer said the bust highlights the need for diligence on the part of the general public, whom he called upon to assist ongoing police efforts to combat car thieves throughout metro Detroit.

“We’re concerned, and that’s why we’re conducting these types of operations to combat theft rings that come in and take [vehicles] for $200 per car,” Dwyer said. “The key is to keep watch.  Help your neighbors by noting any suspicious activity and writing down a description.”

Dwyer cited statistics he said showed that 1,095,769 vehicles were stolen nationwide in 2007. That’s about one every 26 seconds, he said.

In Michigan, motor vehicle thefts declined 15.7 percent last year, from 50,017 vehicles taken in 2006 to 40,151 taken in 2007.

Hackel said the bust was the largest of his tenure as sheriff and proof of the continued need to fund MATS operations and others targeting auto theft.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg. That’s the unfortunate part,” Hackel said. “They’ve been talking about cutting back on personnel, taking away [forfeitures] funds. One of the biggest issues we’ve got going on right now is auto theft. It impacts every one of us in our auto insurance premiums.”

Anyone with information about alleged auto theft, chop shops, or insurance fraud is encouraged to contact HEAT at (800) 242-HEAT.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Brian Louwers at brianlouwers@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1089.