In a sweeping operation dubbed "Operation Gone in 60 Days," Florida law enforcement officials have apprehended 23 individuals involved in a sophisticated auto theft network. Four additional arrests are pending. The five-year investigation, spearheaded by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), centered on the illicit procurement and sale of high-end vehicles.
The operation began in 2018 after authorities discovered the unlawful issuance of Florida Commercial Driver Licenses (CDLs) to individuals lacking the necessary qualifications. The investigation subsequently revealed a criminal enterprise engaging in the fabrication of fraudulent vehicle identification numbers (VINs) for stolen luxury vehicles, including Porsches, Land Rovers, and Maseratis.
These vehicles were then sold significantly below market value, accompanied by counterfeit tags and other illicit activities. The scheme involved the use of intermediaries, aliases, and fraudulent payments to dealerships, who often remained unaware of the deception until after the vehicles had been removed from their lots.
The criminal network also employed tactics such as renting vehicles, filing false stolen vehicle reports, and retaining the vehicles for their own use. The ringleader allegedly generated counterfeit VINs to conceal the thefts. One suspect, employed at a Miami dealership, facilitated the issuance of temporary tags or transferred legitimate tags to the stolen vehicles. Other participants in the scheme are accused of selling bogus auto insurance policies to buyers of the stolen vehicles, pocketing the premiums while leaving the customers with invalid coverage.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody praised the collaborative law enforcement efforts that led to the dismantling of the theft ring. FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass highlighted the multi-layered nature of the scheme, which defrauded prospective car buyers at every stage of the process. The suspects now face a range of charges, including racketeering, grand theft auto, dealing in stolen property, money laundering, and possession of vehicles with altered VINs.
