New Orleans Man Sentenced For Role in Federal Car Theft Ring

NEW ORLEANS – GREGORY BUTLER (“BUTLER”), age 37, was sentenced on May 18, 2023, for conspiring to transport and sell stolen vehicles in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 371, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to court documents, BUTLER and his co-conspirators stole cars from car dealerships and rental car facilities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and George.  After the cards were stolen, BUTLER and his co-conspirators retitled the cards under fraudulent Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINS) with the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles.  After the cars were retitled and cloned with fraudulent VINS, the defendants resold the cars to buyers in the New Orleans metro area at discounted prices.

U.S. District Court Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown sentenced BUTLER to serve one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three (3) years of supervised release and imposed a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.  The court also set a restitution hearing for June 15, 2023.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security, the Louisiana State Police, the D’Iberville Police Department, and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter.  Assistant U. S. Attorneys Spiro G. Latsis and Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit are in charge of the prosecution.