South Amboy man sentenced in theft of 104 vehicles worth $550,000
By Anthony G. Attrino/NJ.com
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on September 17, 2013 at 12:32 PM, updated September 17, 2013 at 1:12 PM
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TRENTON – A South Amboy man was sentenced Monday to 15 years in state prison for his part in the theft of more than 100 vehicles worth more than $550,000.
Jose D. Lopez, 33, aka “Cholo,” pleaded guilty July 12 to first-degree promotion of organized street crime, according to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.
Lopez was also sentenced to 10 years after pleading guilty to second-degree charges of running an auto-theft trafficking network, second-degree operation of a facility for the sale of stolen automobiles and third-degree conspiracy, according to a statement from the attorney general's office.
The charges were contained in a Middlesex County grand jury indictment filed by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office in February 2012. The two sentences will run concurrently.
Lopez admitted that between June 2012 and June 2013, he promoted organized street crime by conspiring to steal 104 vehicles in Middlesex County, including multiple Honda passenger vehicles, Ford contractor vans, one trailer, one Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle, and other vehicles.
A joint investigation by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor, the Woodbridge Police Department and the Perth Amboy Police Department determined that Lopez arranged for the Honda vehicles to be stripped of their parts so the parts could be sold, and he arranged for the contents of the vans -- primarily industrial contractors’ tools -- to be sold, the attorney general's office said in a statement.
“By organizing this stolen vehicle ring, this defendant deprived many hard-working contractors, plumbers, electricians and painters of their essential resources,” said Acting Attorney General Hoffman. “The lengthy prison sentence imposed today is reflective of the serious nature of the crime.”
“These types of rings affect not only the owners of the stolen vehicles, but also all New Jerseyans who pay car insurance, by increasing the premiums all of us pay for car insurance.” Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Ronald Chillemi said.
The investigation into Lopez’ activities further revealed that Lopez arranged for many of the stolen vehicles to be scrapped at nearby scrapyards, officials said.
Since many scrapyards would not accept vehicles without an accompanying vehicle title, Lopez had nearly 100 vehicle titles forged by copying legitimate titles and altering the vehicle identification numbers using a digital scanner and a typewriter, so as to match the corresponding numbers on the scrapped vehicles, according to investigators.
Lopez was arrested on June 14 after investigators obtained written consent to search his apartment, according to the attorney general.
The search resulted in the state seizing the typewriter used to assist in the forging of New Jersey vehicle titles, a digital scanner with a “blank” New Jersey vehicle title sitting on the “bed” of the scanner and dozens of New Jersey vehicle titles in various states of alteration/completion.
Also seized were receipts for scrapping stolen vehicles, vehicle ignition systems, vehicle identification number plates, stolen contractors’ tools from stolen vehicles (including tools that can be used to remove VIN plates), cell phones, GPS units, laptops and other items, investigators said.
In pleading guilty to the Middlesex County charges, Lopez admitted that between 2010 and 2011, he organized an auto-theft network to steal Honda passenger vehicles, install fraudulent VIN plates and license plates on the vehicles, and then sell the “re-tagged” stolen automobiles to unsuspecting buyers.
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