In a five-month-long investigation led by the DPS’s Vehicle Theft Task Force (VTTF), officials focused on a cadre of individuals believed to be orchestrating the purchase of stolen cars with falsified VIN numbers, which were then transported and sold in Arizona.
Check out the outrageous vehicle a teenager used to try impersonating police here.
Suspects involved in this expansive operation include Dayanella Galdos Abarca, 24, Ricky Austin, 33, Joshua Carra, 25, and Tyquan Jackson Wilson, 33. The probe revealed that these individuals ordered the vehicles from a theft ring located on the East Coast. They then arranged for their transport to Arizona. Using counterfeit out-of-state titles, these vehicles were sold at bargain prices to unsuspecting Arizona residents.
Among the recovered vehicles are high-end models such as a Ferrari California, a Mercedes AMG SUV, and a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Additionally, several Dodge sports cars and pickup trucks were also identified. In total, 19 vehicles, estimated to be worth around $1.2 million, were seized by the DPS.
But luxury vehicles weren’t the only illegal commodities found. Authorities seized a range of narcotics including 13lbs of cocaine, 4lbs of Adderall, and a staggering 20,000 fentanyl pills. Also uncovered were sizeable amounts of MDMA, Xanax, a substance identified by the DPS as ‘illegal mushrooms’, and methamphetamine. The total drug bust also included $110,000 in cash and multiple firearms.
The suspects are now facing a series of grave charges. Austin, Carra, and Wilson are indicted on charges that span theft of means of transportation, trafficking stolen property, conspiracy, and fraudulent schemes. Abarca, reportedly an employee at a third-party MVD service provider, is accused of conspiracy and fraudulent schemes.
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