A car theft ring leader accused of stealing over 30 vehicles and selling them online has been arrested and charged, prosecutors in New Jersey announced Wednesday.
Warren Guerrier, 43, of Newark, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney District's Office of New Jersey.
Prosecutors say Guerrier and his conspirators scouted out vehicles at apartment complexes, hotels, or shopping centers in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland. They would take photos of the cars, to post online, before using GPS trackers to follow their owners' locations to find a window of opportunity.
The ring would then schedule a meet up with online buyers before they return to the cars, according to the criminal complaint. They would then return to steal the vehicles by using unlawfully obtained valet keys.
When they met with unsuspecting buyers, who paid in cash, the suspects presented them with the car, the key and fake registration.
Authorities say the fraud involved more than 30 stolen vehicles, of which 29 were sold. Guerrier and his conspirators were able to collect $217,650 from November 2016 to March 2019.
If convicted, Guerrier could 22 or more years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense.
