D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) joined U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro on Wednesday to announce the takedown of a high-tech international car theft ring that authorities say stole vehicles across the mid-Atlantic and shipped them overseas for profit.
Federal prosecutors charged multiple suspects in connection with the operation, which Pirro said spanned across D.C., Maryland, and Pennsylvania, and relied on sophisticated technology to steal cars in under a minute.
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Pirro said the theft ring used electronic programming devices, commonly referred to as “Autel” tools, to bypass vehicle security systems and create new key fobs without needing the original keys or forcing entry. The method allowed suspects to take vehicles “in seconds,” Pirro said, adding that the method signals a “new world of car theft.”
The group targeted a range of vehicles, from luxury sports cars to common sedans, and funneled them through a coordinated pipeline, Pirro explained.
She said vehicles were often moved to temporary “cool-off” locations, where identifying features such as license plates and tracking devices were altered before being transported to ports in Maryland and Georgia. Some cool-off locations included areas in D.C.’s Navy Yard neighborhood and a Maryland Marriott hotel.
From there, the cars were loaded into shipping containers, sometimes mislabeled as household goods, and sent overseas. They were primarily shipped to markets in Africa, where demand for U.S. vehicles is high.
Bowser said the operation generated significant profits, with at least 20 vehicles tied directly to the indictment and potentially more than 100 thefts linked to the broader network.
The case highlights how organized crime has evolved alongside technology, Bowser said, contributing to persistent auto theft concerns in the District.
The takedown comes as D.C. officials continue to grapple with broader concerns about carjackings and auto thefts, which have surged in recent years and increasingly involve coordinated groups rather than isolated offenders.
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Individuals tied to the car theft ring were from across the country, including suspects from Virginia, Maryland, and California, with offenses including conspiracy, interstate transportation of stolen vehicles, and possession of stolen vehicles.
Jacob Hernandez, 29, of Los Angeles; Dustin Wetzel, 23, of Woodbridge, Virginia; James Young, 23, of Hyattsville, Maryland; Khobe David, 24, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland; and Chance Clark, 25, of Waldorf, Maryland, were charged in the indictment. One suspect remains at large.
