Bronx Car-Theft Crew Behind $3M Crime Ring Busted After Flaunting Stolen Goods on Social Media

Edited by: TJVNews.com

A Bronx car-theft crew responsible for a major $3 million crime ring has been apprehended after members shamelessly showcased wads of cash and stolen vehicles on social media platforms, as was reported by the New York Post on Sunday. This audacious crew targeted car dealerships, cell phone stores, and ATM businesses during a surge in grand larceny auto rates across New York City. The Post report indicated that New York Attorney General Letitia James revealed that six members of the group pleaded guilty to over 200 thefts and have been sentenced to prison. Their brazen actions, including taunting police and flaunting their misdeeds on Instagram, led to a 13-month investigation dubbed “Operation Redline” conducted by the NYPD’s Auto Crime Unit and the AG’s Organized Crime Task Force, the Post report added.

Bronx residents Willie Baines, Josepher Cartagena, Brandon Collazo-Rivera, Justin Herrera, Douglas Noble, and Alexander Santiago were the masterminds behind the brazen crime spree. As was reported by the Post, their modus operandi involved smashing windows of car dealerships and driving the stolen cars right through the broken glass. In some instances, they provoked the police by initiating high-speed chases through residential neighborhoods, reminiscent of scenes from the “Fast & Furious” movie franchise, the report added. The audacity of the criminals extended to social media, where they flaunted their stolen goods and piles of cash on Instagram, inadvertently leaving behind digital evidence that connected them to their crimes.

The 13-month investigation led by the NYPD’s Auto Crime Unit and the AG’s Organized Crime Task Force was a strategic response to the escalating car thefts in the city and its surrounding areas. The Post reported that the operation was aptly named “Operation Redline” due to the redlining of speedometers in the stolen vehicles as the thieves reached dangerously high speeds during their escapades. The Post report said that the investigation proved fruitful, leading to the capture and conviction of the six members involved in over 200 thefts and totaling $3 million worth of stolen goods, including at least 54 vehicles.

Cartagena, 27; Collazo-Rivera, 26; Noble, 29 and Santiago, 28, all pled guilty to second-degree grand larceny, officials said.

Josepher Cartagena, 27, Brandon Collazo-Rivera, 26, Douglas Noble, 29, and Alexander Santiago, 28, pled guilty to second-degree grand larceny, while Justin Herrera, 23, pled guilty to third-degree burglary, as was reported by the Post. Willie Baines, 47, pled guilty to attempted third-degree burglary. The specifics of their prison sentences have not been disclosed.

The arrest of the car-theft crew sheds light on the growing concern of grand larceny auto rates in New York City. The report said that the NYPD has been taking measures to tackle the problem, announcing the revamping of its auto crime division in response to the surge in car thefts. The rise in auto thefts has been partly fueled by a TikTok trend challenging teens to steal Kia and Hyundai models that do not require “key fobs,” as was reported by the Post.

“The six individuals convicted and sentenced went on a crime spree that impacted businesses and residents throughout downstate New York,” Attorney General James said in a statement, according to the Post report.

“These burglars left a trail of broken glass, smashed businesses, and dangerous high-speed chases in their wake. I thank my partners in local law enforcement for their coordination and support as we took down this dangerous crew. Our communities are safer now that these six individuals have been brought to justice,”  the statement added.

Moving forward, continued vigilance and cooperation between law enforcement and communities will be essential in combating car theft and ensuring public safety on the city’s streets.

Edited by: TJVNews.com

A Bronx car-theft crew responsible for a major $3 million crime ring has been apprehended after members shamelessly showcased wads of cash and stolen vehicles on social media platforms, as was reported by the New York Post on Sunday. This audacious crew targeted car dealerships, cell phone stores, and ATM businesses during a surge in grand larceny auto rates across New York City. The Post report indicated that New York Attorney General Letitia James revealed that six members of the group pleaded guilty to over 200 thefts and have been sentenced to prison. Their brazen actions, including taunting police and flaunting their misdeeds on Instagram, led to a 13-month investigation dubbed “Operation Redline” conducted by the NYPD’s Auto Crime Unit and the AG’s Organized Crime Task Force, the Post report added.

Bronx residents Willie Baines, Josepher Cartagena, Brandon Collazo-Rivera, Justin Herrera, Douglas Noble, and Alexander Santiago were the masterminds behind the brazen crime spree. As was reported by the Post, their modus operandi involved smashing windows of car dealerships and driving the stolen cars right through the broken glass. In some instances, they provoked the police by initiating high-speed chases through residential neighborhoods, reminiscent of scenes from the “Fast & Furious” movie franchise, the report added. The audacity of the criminals extended to social media, where they flaunted their stolen goods and piles of cash on Instagram, inadvertently leaving behind digital evidence that connected them to their crimes.

The 13-month investigation led by the NYPD’s Auto Crime Unit and the AG’s Organized Crime Task Force was a strategic response to the escalating car thefts in the city and its surrounding areas. The Post reported that the operation was aptly named “Operation Redline” due to the redlining of speedometers in the stolen vehicles as the thieves reached dangerously high speeds during their escapades. The Post report said that the investigation proved fruitful, leading to the capture and conviction of the six members involved in over 200 thefts and totaling $3 million worth of stolen goods, including at least 54 vehicles.

Cartagena, 27; Collazo-Rivera, 26; Noble, 29 and Santiago, 28, all pled guilty to second-degree grand larceny, officials said.

Josepher Cartagena, 27, Brandon Collazo-Rivera, 26, Douglas Noble, 29, and Alexander Santiago, 28, pled guilty to second-degree grand larceny, while Justin Herrera, 23, pled guilty to third-degree burglary, as was reported by the Post. Willie Baines, 47, pled guilty to attempted third-degree burglary. The specifics of their prison sentences have not been disclosed.

The arrest of the car-theft crew sheds light on the growing concern of grand larceny auto rates in New York City. The report said that the NYPD has been taking measures to tackle the problem, announcing the revamping of its auto crime division in response to the surge in car thefts. The rise in auto thefts has been partly fueled by a TikTok trend challenging teens to steal Kia and Hyundai models that do not require “key fobs,” as was reported by the Post.

“The six individuals convicted and sentenced went on a crime spree that impacted businesses and residents throughout downstate New York,” Attorney General James said in a statement, according to the Post report.

“These burglars left a trail of broken glass, smashed businesses, and dangerous high-speed chases in their wake. I thank my partners in local law enforcement for their coordination and support as we took down this dangerous crew. Our communities are safer now that these six individuals have been brought to justice,”  the statement added.

Moving forward, continued vigilance and cooperation between law enforcement and communities will be essential in combating car theft and ensuring public safety on the city’s streets.