Cleveland Heights Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Conspiracy that Stole and Resold Vehicles

AKRON  – Hakim Benjamin, 21, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi to 27 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy to steal, receive, and sell stolen vehicles.

According to court documents, from December 2021 to February 2022, Benjamin was part of a conspiracy that stole vehicles from car dealerships in Michigan and transported them to be resold in the Northern District of Ohio.  Court documents state that Benjamin and his co-defendants targeted specific vehicles to steal and purchase, including the Dodge Durango, Dodge Ram TRX, Dodge Hellcat, Audi 8, and others.

Also charged in this matter as co-defendants are Jaylen Harris, Lavelle Jones, and Devin Rice.  Harris, Jones, and Rice were charged in an indictment in June 2022.  The case involving the co-defendants remains ongoing.

In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Lioi ordered Benjamin to pay $1,203,445 in restitution to be paid jointly with other defendants.

This case was investigated by the Cleveland FBI, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Cuyahoga County Criminal Investigators, Beachwood Police Department, and the Shaker Heights Police Department. 

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn G. Andrachik and Jason W. White.