Feds Break Up Stolen Motorcycle Ring

From DEALERNEWS.COM

Federal customs officers reportedly have foiled a motorcycle theft ring that stole bikes from Maryland and Virginia and smuggled them overseas.

Agents at the Port of Baltimore were alerted by Fairfax County, Va., police investigating an auto theft ring who said a shipping container bound for Bolivia might contain stolen motorcycles, according to a story in the Washington Examiner. The agents used a database to find a container still in the seaport that matched the description offered by the police in Virginia.

Federal agents pulled the container from the ship, opened it and found four salvage cars or sport utility vehicles. Salvage vehicles are vehicles usually purchased at auction for their parts value, says Scott McCabe, a reporter for the newspaper ( www.washingtonexaminer.com ).

Inside the salvage cars were boxes containing disassembled motorcycles — a 2009 Harley-Davidson Night Train and a 2007 Kawasaki ZX660J.

“This ring stole motorcycles, they’d take them apart. They’d leave the frame and motor part basically intact, but take off the tires and handlebars and but them in a box, wrap them in blankets and hide them in the salvage vehicles,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Steve Sapp told McCabe.

The federal agents went back to the database of shipping information to see whether there were similar manifests. “The officers were really smart,” said Sapp. “They found more stolen motorcycles.”

But those containers were already out to sea and heading to Bolivia, Sapp said.

Customs officials ordered three containers to be redelivered to the Baltimore seaport. The last one arrived last Monday. Inside each container were two more motorcycles, disassembled and concealed inside the salvage vehicles.

Fairfax County police said they have arrested three members of the motorcycle ring.

Baltimore is one of the nation’s busiest seaports for the import and export of new and used cars, trucks, boats, recreational vehicles and farm equipment, customs officials said.

they should turn them over to the bikers who had their bikes stolen,, nothing worse than a pissed off biker, 5 bucks says they would never do it again

Here is another one from dealer news:
Authorities in Pennsylvania arrested five men Thursday, breaking up what Attorney General Tom Corbett’s office says is a chop shop and insurance fraud ring.

The group is charged with stealing about $80,000 worth of motorcycles in Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Corbett says the investigation focused on Joshua Alvarez, 22, of Monogahela, Washington County, and four other men, who allegedly helped steal, strip and sell the bikes and ATVs. They also may have staged vehicle thefts and filed fraudulent insurance claims on them.

Alvarez worked at Bentley's Cycles, 589 W Pike St., Canonsburg, in Washington County, and Corbett says he used his position to get customer addresses, then stole the bikes.

According to the criminal complaint, Alvarez's main accomplice was Zachary Benning, 22, who allegedly helped him steal motorcycles left unattended at area homes.

Stolen motorcycles and ATVs were transported to Benning's garage, where the pair allegedly stored them until they could be resold or stripped for parts, the complaint alleges.

Also accused is Adam Wareham, 34, who operated Road Rash, a repair shop in North Huntingdon, and allegedly sold the stolen rides and parts.

"Alvarez and Benning are charged with stealing an ATV and at least five motorcycles," Corbett says. "However, our investigation into the theft of motorcycles in western Pennsylvania continues and more arrests are anticipated."

The Pennsylvania State Police Western Auto Theft Task Force has been instrumental in the investigation and will continue working with the Attorney General’s office on the case. Other suspects who allegedly assisted Alvarez and Benning in storing and selling stolen vehicles were identified Michael Flament, 22, and David Grillo, 19.

According to the criminal complaint, Wareham orchestrated a staged theft of an automobile to provide a basis for a bogus $7,700 insurance claim by his step-brother. Flament also allegedly faked the theft of his pick-up truck for the purpose of filing a fraudulent insurance claim for approximately $5,000.

The case will be prosecuted in Washington County.

and another one:
Utah Cops Raid Chop Shops
State authorities in Utah have identified a person of interest in an alleged chop shop and insurance fraud ring, and are seeking information about five more participants.

Officers of the Utah State Tax Commission’s Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division raided storage facilities in West Bountiful and West Jordan Tuesday. Between the two, they recovered 10 cars including high-performance street racing cars; six “high-end” motorcycles including an H-D and a Honda; a Polaris ATV; and a front-end loader and trailer, as well as a cache of car and bike parts. Only one of the bikes was running, and one car escaped nearly unscathed because it had been stolen only the day before.

“They were all stolen from private parties throughout the Salt Lake Valley -- apartment complexes and the like,” typically from exposed parking areas and at night, said Utah State Tax Commission spokesman Charlie Roberts.

Authorities have identified Cody Yelsma, 22, as a person of interest. “There are several persons of interest but particularly Yelsma, because he has a history with us,” Roberts said.

The raid followed a 10-month investigation, which included officers from the Utah Insurance Fraud Division. That began when investigators found a handful of vehicles in a canal during the spring runoff.

“There is a surplus canal that runs in an isolated area of Salt Lake County. One of Yelsma’s vehicles was found there,” Roberts explained. “They would drive them into this canal when it is high in the winter. Spring starts to come and we found them. There were six in there.”

Roberts said two of the cars were believed to be the subjects of false insurance claims.

“They would be street-race vehicles. They would take them out and fry the engines,” he said. “They would arrange with someone to ‘steal’ the vehicle and then file a false insurance claim.”

Yelsma and possibly others could face second-degree felony charges including auto theft, possession of stolen vehicles, possession of stolen parts, removal and switching of vehicle identification numbers, and insurance fraud.

Anyone with information on the suspects is asked to contact the MVED tip line at (801) 297-2600