Four men charged in $3.1M stolen-car ring

Four Connecticut men have been accused of profiting from a nationwide $3.1 million stolen-car ring.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York unsealed a complaint last week against seven suspects who authorities said stole and then sold luxury cars. The men were charged with stealing about 60 cars worth around $3.1 million.

“They stole from rightful owners and used a criminal network of thieves, fraud- sters, and forgers to line their pockets, all while driving themselves around in stolen Lamborghinis, Range Rovers, and other pilfered prizes,” U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said in a statement. “With our partners at the FBI and the State Police, we have slapped a boot onto these fast-paced heists, and will now tow the defendants off to justice.”

Marvin Williams, 32, of Torrington, Steven Klein, 55, of Easton, Jason Higney, 39, of Terryville, and Nicholas Dixon, 43, of Tamarac, Fla., were charged with the sale or transportation of stolen vehicles and conspiracy to do the same, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Besar Ismaili, 37, of Waterbury, Lashaumba Randolph, 44, of Atlanta, and Abdurahamin Shabazz, 45, of Providence, R.I., were charged with conspiracy to sell and transport stolen vehicles, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Authorities said the suspects obtained stolen cars from places such as Michi- gan and Florida and brought them to southern New York and Connecticut, among other places, to resell. The men created fake titles and plates for the cars and used false car records to deceive buyers and the South Dakota Division of Motor Vehicles, according to the complaint.

Buyers from across the country were contacted online through eBay and other markets, authorities said.

Four of the suspects appeared in federal court in White Plains, N.Y., on Thursday, while the other three men will appear before federal judges in Florida, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

The FBI, Waterbury Police Department, the Connecticut State Police, New York State Police, the South Dakota Division of Motor Vehicles, the South Dakota Lake County Treasurer’s Office and the National Insurance Crime Bureau were involved in the investigation.

“This kind of criminal activity undermines public confidence and destabilizes communities,” William F. Sweeney Jr., FBI assistant director-in-charge, said in a statement. “Thanks to the diligence and hard work by law enforcement, these arrests have put the brakes on this criminal enterprise.”