NJ men charged in car theft ring that targeted Bergen County owners

Seven Essex County men have been charged with crafting a brazen scheme to steal luxury vehicles, targeting owners in Bergen and other counties and allegedly conspiring to sell the high-end cars in New

Five alleged thieves from Newark, two from East Orange and an eighth man from Virginia who has yet to be captured operated throughout the region since at least 2021, stealing 14 vehicles worth an estimated $550,000, the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark office said in a release.

Earlier this month, HSI, working with multiple agencies, dismantled the ring and charged the men with conspiring to receive, possess or sell stolen vehicles in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and elsewhere, the office said.

In Tenafly, a BMW X4M was stolen from a home on Nov. 16, 2021, and thieves again targeted the borough on April 27, 2022, allegedly stealing a 2020 Land Rover Range Rover, according to court documents filed in the case.

During the first week of July 2022, a 2018 Audi RS5 and a 2019 Land Rover Range Rover were stolen from homes in Ridgewood and a 2021 BMW X7 was taken from a home in Paramus, court filings state. Authorities said one of the suspects searched "million dollar homes paramus" on his cell phone, found a real estate listing website and used his GPS to navigate to a home where he allegedly stole the high-end vehicle.

A BMW X5 was also taken from a Fair Lawn home in 2022, the complaint states. The thieves also allegedly attempted to steal a Land Rover Range Rover from an Englewood Cliffs car dealer on Feb. 28, 2023.

Authorities said the men would communicate via text message, sending photos of the stolen vehicles and negotiating prices. The investigation included review of surveillance video, location data, open public record searches, internet browsing history, search warrants and data from automated license plate readers, which are mounted on street poles, highways and police cars, records show.

One of the men, Ahmad "Mahdi" Franks, 24, of Newark, who is facing additional charges for possessing and transporting stolen vehicles, purportedly took a photo of a hand fanning out hundreds of dollars in cash, with authorities able to identify a New Jersey inspection sticker and the make and model of a car that had been reported missing days prior in South Jersey.

Between November 2021 and July 2022, authorities say Franks exchanged photos of at least 400 known or suspected stolen cars to at least a dozen conspirators.

Some of the vehicles stolen were used during the undertaking of other crimes, including other car thefts and a homicide, authorities said. On March 2, 2022, a 2022 Hyundai Palisade stolen from Hillside in Union County was used in a shooting in Newark where three people were shot, and one was killed, records show. The vehicle was later set ablaze in Newark and a fired cartridge was recovered inside, authorities said.

Also charged from Newark were Shaquan White, 23, Nathan Braswell, 20, Ibn Bellamy, 24, and 20-year-old Zamir Wright. Ryan Bowen, 26, and Khyree Lawrence, 20, of East Orange, were also charged. Mohammed Buhari, 45, of Woodbridge, Virginia, who remains at large, is also charged with one count of sale, receipt or possession of a stolen vehicle. Bellamy is also facing an additional charge for possessing a stolen vehicle.

U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said the investigation underscores the HSI's commitment to working with fellow law enforcement partners "to protect the community from the variety of crimes committed by those who seek to enrich themselves unjustly by victimizing our residents.”

Bellamy and Lawrence were arrested on Nov. 6 and made a first appearance in the Newark federal court. The other defendants, not including Buhari who remains missing, were already in custody on prior charges and will appear in court at a later date.

Email: [email protected]; Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH or on Facebook.

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