Prosecutors have charged 11 men with stealing 86 vehicles worth more than $5 million from Ohio dealerships.
The suspects are accused of taking expensive, high-powered models such as Dodge Charger SRT Hellcats and Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawks from 26 dealerships over five months. One showroom was robbed three times.
A 142-count indictment unsealed last week includes charges of racketeering, conspiracy, grand theft, felonious assault and aggravated robbery. Ninety of the charges were filed against one man, 20-year-old Makilin Wilson, who was arrested in February after police said he led them on a high-speed chase in a stolen Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat. He and eight other defendants, ages 18 to 22, were in custody last week, according to The Plain Dealer in Cleveland.
Prosecutors said the men scoped out the dealerships during the day to locate security cameras and key fobs before going back overnight to steal the vehicles. Police believe they stole a total of 126 cars, but the charges relate only to 86 that were later found. One Mercedes-Benz was allegedly driven to Michigan and sold for $4,500.
Blood and DNA found on broken glass at two dealerships helped tie the men to the thefts, along with information gathered from cellphones and social media posts, authorities said.
At one dealership, prosecutors said, some of the men gave a salesperson their real names while casing the showroom before stealing from it the same night.