Twenty-Three Members of an Interstate Car Theft Ring Charged in Federal Court

Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that a second superseding indictment had been unsealed, charging the following 23 individuals for their roles in an interstate car theft ring:

According to court records, between approximately January 2019 and February 2024, members of the alleged theft ring stole and directed others to steal motor vehicles, transported and arranged for the transportation of stolen vehicles across the nation, created front companies, altered vehicle identification numbers, made fake motor vehicle titles, registered stolen vehicles using those fake motor vehicle titles, and sold those vehicles to others for money and drugs. This investigation tied more than 175 stolen cars, many of which were new and “high end” to the ring. Some of the vehicles were stolen from airports, including Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport, car dealerships, and car manufacturer’s assembly plants.

“The charges unsealed against these defendants are the direct result of effective collaboration and countless hours of thorough investigative work by dedicated law enforcement professionals,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. “I commend all involved in pursuing justice for the impacted victims and for seeking to hold the charged individuals accountable for their actions.”

All twenty-three defendants are charged with conspiring to violate various laws of the United States, including conspiring to receive, transport, and sell stolen vehicles; remove, obliterate, or tamper with motor vehicle identification numbers; and produce and transfer false and fraudulent titles for stolen vehicles. If convicted of the conspiracy charge, each defendant would face up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  

              Twenty-one of the twenty-three defendants are also charged with interstate transportation of stolen vehicles or the receipt, possession, concealment, or sale of stolen motor vehicles that traveled in interstate commerce.  If convicted of one of these charges, each defendant would face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Diaunte Shields, Brandon Mullins, and Nakiya Wright are also charged with the use of interstate commerce to transmit and transfer fictitious obligations or the presentation or offer of fictitious obligations.  If convicted of one of these charges, each defendant would face up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 

              Diaunte Shields and Lashawn Davis, Jr.  are also charged with drug trafficking crimes. If convicted of one of these charges, they would face mandatory minimum terms of 10 years and up to life in prison. Nakiya Wright is also charged with aggravated identity theft and, if convicted, would face a mandatory term of 2 years in prison. Defendants Diaunte Shields, Casha Griffin, and Nakiya Wright also are charged with conspiring to violate federal money laundering laws, and if convicted of that offense, each of them would face a maximum term of 20 years in prison and up to a $500,000 fine, or twice the value of the property involved. 

              “Following a multi-year investigation, the FBI successfully dismantled a national auto theft ring that has been ongoing since 2019,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. “These individuals are part of a criminal organization responsible for hundreds of high-end motor vehicle thefts resulting in millions of dollars in losses. Their criminal activity involves a complex operation of stealing vehicles and transporting them across the country. In Wisconsin, this organization is responsible for drug trafficking multiple kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The FBI and its law enforcement partners will continue working together to stop these crimes and protect the American people.” 

              “This was a calculated, multi-state operation that went far beyond stealing cars—it was identity theft, forgery, and financial fraud on a significant scale,” said Jason Bushey, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “These defendants didn’t just take vehicles—they exploited people’s identities, manipulated documents, and laundered illegal profits through sophisticated schemes designed to conceal their crimes. IRS-CI special agents followed the money, mapped out the financial structure of this organization, and worked side by side with our partners to bring those responsible to justice. Let me be clear: if you build your enterprise on fraud and deception, we will find you, we will expose you, and we will hold you accountable.”

               “The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office was proud to be a partner in this endeavor from its inception, with deputy sheriffs and detectives from this agency playing a key role in identifying and capturing members of this crime ring,” said Sheriff Denita R. Ball. “As stated by others, this was not just a ring of car thieves. This group took advantage of innocent people and turned lives upside down. Their actions were calculated and callous. And now they will face the justice they deserve.”

              This case is the result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the Milwaukee County Sherriff’s Office, and the Wheaton Police Department (IL). The Sun Prairie Police Department (WI), Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department (WI), and numerous local and state law enforcement agencies throughout the country provided additional assistance.

Operation Strike Out was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.

              Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Biebel and Philip T. Kovoor are prosecuting this case.

              The public is cautioned that an indictment is merely a charge, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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For Additional Information Contact:

Steve Caballero, Public Affairs Officer @ 414-297-1700