State investigators say they have broken up a theft ring responsible for stealing more than 200 vehicles worth at least $2.3 million.
The thieves often masqueraded as transport workers picking up used cars from dealerships, authorities said at a news conference this morning.
But instead of delivering the cars, the thieves sold them after changing the vehicle identification numbers and applying for an Illinois title using fraudulent documents from other states, according to the Illinois State Police and Illinois Secretary of State officials.
The ring targeted luxury cars like Cadillacs, Mercedes and BMWs and sold them through Craigslist and other places for as little as 20 percent of their value, investigators said. The ring operated in Cook, DuPage, Will and Lake counties.
So far, 21 people have been arrested in connection with the investigation, which began in April 2011. Most of those in custody, some of them related to each other, live on the South Side and in south suburbs, investigators said.
[Source - Chicago Tribune]
[By Mitch Smith]
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