Traffic Stop Leads To $1.25 Million Stolen Car Bust

Sometimes a simple traffic stop for speeding can crack open a big criminal case, like this one out of Monroe, North Carolina. After police determined the car being driven by the suspect was stolen back in 2021 from Orlando, Florida investigators did some digging and found more.

Florida Highway Patrol now has a C8 Corvette in its fleet.

According to Monroe Police Department, 56-year-old Stefan Willi Huewe owns All PRO Fleet & Auto Services in nearby Albermarle where officers found several other cars reported as stolen. Among those recovered is a Lamborghini Urus, Porsche 911 GT3, and a Bentley Continental GTC – fancy rides for a city of 16,000.

In total, police recovered seven stolen cars with a combined value of $1.25 million. Police charged Huewe with possession of a stolen motor vehicle, displaying a fictitious registration plate, speeding, and felony chop shop activity.

Needless to say, the man is going to be hit with more criminal charges once investigators go through everything obtained through a search warrant.

How Huewe came to acquire these rather valuable stolen cars is surely a focus of the ongoing investigation.

This story is an excellent reminder that even if car theft rings aren’t featured in the news as much, they still remain a problem. We don’t know if Huewe was somehow connected to one, but it wouldn’t surprise us if he was.

They will often steal vehicles in one part of the country or even the world, then ship them to another part. Repair shops are favorite places to stash the rides since they don’t look out of place and so raise few if any suspicions.

While it’s crazy to realize this operation was taken down by the guy speeding in a stolen car, those sorts of things happen. That’s why people ask to see your license, insurance, and registration when they stop you.

Image via Monroe Police Department/Facebook