23 suspects, including 9 from Wisconsin, facing federal charges for alleged involvement in massive nationwide car theft ring operation
KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Several people have been federally charged for their roles in an interstate car theft ring operation according to a press release Wednesday, July 2.
In 2022, the Kenosha County Drug Operations Group (KDOG) started investigating after a single license plate found on a rural Kenosha County highway was determined to have come from a stolen vehicle in Milwaukee.
Law enforcement worked the case over the next three years, executing numerous search warrants across the state - from La Crosse, Madison, Sun Prairie, Milwaukee and Racine to Chicago. They were able to identify the key figures in the car theft operation.
Diaunte Shields, Casha Griffin, Brianna Shields, Lashawn Davis Jr., and Meliek McClarn are five of the 23 suspects identified in this operation.
Casha Griffin, Diaunte Shields, and Lashawn Davis Jr.
High-end cars were targeted and stolen from Mitchell International Airport and residences using professional-grade scanning devices and tools. The vehicle VIN plates and radios were swapped, being sold throughout the United States far below their value.
The proceeds were funneled through fake LLCs before being used to buy real estate, which was sold to launder money.
In addition to four stolen cars, there was a stolen firearm out of Detroit, Michigan, along with credit card cloning devices, hundreds of counterfeit vehicle titles and VIN plates, stolen high-end clothing and jewelry and cash recovered as part of the search warrants executed by KDOG.
A drug nexus was also identified, which involved a large number of deliveries of heroin and methamphetamine in Whitestown, Indiana.
“The magnitude of a case like this, just think about it, think about how it came from Somers, a small park in Somers, and this went nationwide," said Kenosha County Sheriff David Zoerner. “This criminal activity was taking place across the country.”
Sheriff Zoerner added that he was proud of his team and all of the members of law enforcement who worked tirelessly for years on the case.
“This octopus grew tentacles in every direction, so when you say magnitude, it’s an understatement. It’s tremendous. A huge endeavor," Sheriff Zoerner said. “Anywhere there’s guns, drugs, and money, there’s violence, so if we can seize those things up and keep them from harming our community no matter where it comes from, that’s what we want to do.”
For more information on the suspects involved and the charges they face, click here.