Over $1.5 Million In Cadillac Escalades Stolen From A Factory Storage Lot

We’ve seen some pretty big heists out of factory storage lots, but a theft ring apparently snagged $1.5 million in Cadillac Escalades recently, which is shocking. So far, only one suspect has been arrested as authorities try to hunt down the other thieves.

Car theft leaves a man with two auto loans.

That man, 24-year-old Deon Brooks, was recently arrested after the Macomb Auto Theft Squad started investigating the criminal organization back in December. He’s been hit with a single felony charge of conducting a criminal enterprise, which can carry a 20-year prison sentence, reports Detroit Free Press.

Through the investigation, authorities were able to track down at least some of the Escalades, which were the high-end V models, finding they had been sold to individuals outside of Michigan. Investigators concluded Brooks or someone else in the theft ring cloned VINs, replacing the original tags, to obscure the origin of the luxury SUVs.

In other words, the people who bought the Cadillacs probably didn’t know they were stolen. Sadly, those people will be out the vehicle and their money.

The organization pocketed a huge profit on each sale. Considering the SUVs were brand new and MSRP starts at just over $90,000 it’s not hard to imagine just how much money they made in no time.

Factory storage lots have become like candy dispensers for car thieves in recent years. While automakers have upgraded security at many of the lots, thieves are always trying to find a way around those measures. After all, the financial incentive is huge.  

What’s interesting about Brooks is he reportedly is already out on bond for another case where he allegedly took a car for a test drive and never returned it. In other words, the guy seemingly has a habit of stealing vehicles.

Image via Cadillac