Investigators determined 43 New Jersey vehicles, including Land Rovers, Mercedes Benzes and BMWs, valued at $3.65 million were stolen and then stored in two parking garages in The Bronx, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. Click here for a complete list of defendants and charges.
The thefts occurred in Morris, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex and Burlington counties, with the cars taken from residences, Platkin said. Stolen cars were later recovered from shipping containers at ports in Elizabeth and Staten Island, Platkin said, destined for West Africa.
Issa Yaram a high-level fence, was in contact with the motor theft crews, exchanging text messages identifying large vehicles and the prices for them, like Cadillacs and BMWs, Platkin said. Investigators were able to obtain texts between the fences and crews where they discussed what time they would bring the vehicles to the garage in the Bronx, Platkin said.
Vehicles stolen include a 2024 BMW X5, valued at $89,000 taken from a home in Pompton Plains on Sunday, Jan. 5 after the homeowner noticed his back window broken and his key fob and vehicle missing, Platkin said.
On Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, a 2024 BMW X7 valued at $52,150 and a 2021 Audi SQ8 were stolen from a home in East Windsor, along with a Gucci purse, Gucci wallet, Valentino wallet, Platkin said. The BMW was later recovered in February from a container destined for Ghana, Platkin said.
All defendants are charged with first-degree racketeering.
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