A group of six alleged thieves were busted for allegedly being involved in a $3 million auto theft ring.
Members in the group were caught flashing cash and stolen vehicles on social media, authorities said.
Attorney General Letitia James added that they targeted car dealerships, cell phone stores, and ATM businesses amid a soaring grand larceny auto rate in New York City.
The members pleaded guilty to more than 200 thefts last week and all were sent to prison. However, their sentences were not disclosed, the New York Post reported.
In total, the thieves made off with a staggering $3 million worth of goods, including at least 54 vehicles, before their crimes came to an end.
Prosecutors also allege the members often flaunted their misdeeds in the face of investigators by posting stolen cars and wads of cash on Instagram.
Willie Baines, Josepher Cartagena, Brandon Collazo-Rivera, Justin Herrera, Douglas Noble, and Alexander Santiago, from the Bronx, smashed windows of car dealerships at night and drove cars right through the broken glass, prosecutors added.
In some instances, the crew members would taunt police by waiting for them to respond to burglar alarms before leading them on high-speed chases through residential areas in scenes that wouldn’t be out of place in a “Fast & Furious” movie, officials said.
A 13-month investigation led by the NYPD’s Auto Crime Unit and the AG’s Organized Crime Task Force was called “Operation Redline” because of the redlining of speedometers in the stolen cars as the members reached dangerously high speeds.
Prosecutors say shortly after their crime sprees, members would show off the stolen goods, which helped investigators connect them to the crimes.
“The six individuals convicted and sentenced went on a crime spree that impacted businesses and residents throughout downstate New York,” said James in a statement.
“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.”
Cartagena, 27; Collazo-Rivera, 26; Noble, 29 and Santiago, 28, all pled guilty to second-degree grand larceny.
Herrera, 23, pled guilty to third-degree burglary. Baines, 47, pled guilty to attempted third-degree burglary.
