During 2019 and 2020, a trend of newer model Nissan and Infiniti vehicles were reportedly being stolen throughout the Dallas / Fort Worth area. Through a multi-agency investigation, it was determined that persons of interest were locating cars they wanted to steal and taking note of the VIN numbers. They would then allegedly have VIN-specific keys made for those vehicles and would go back and steal them. The stolen cars would then be taken to a “chop shop.”
The persons of interest would then allegedly buy a wrecked vehicle similar to the one they stole from an auto auction and transport the auction-purchased vehicle to the “chop shop. Once there, they would allegedly change the identifying numbers from the stolen vehicle to the newly purchased, wrecked auction vehicle.
The vehicles would then be reportedly sold to unknowing third-party buyers all over the State of Texas. The investigation reportedly linked over $1.2 million worth of stolen vehicles taken between 2019 and 2020 to this group. To date, $783,900 worth of stolen vehicles have been recovered. Several persons of interest have been arrested and an alleged “chop shop” was identified and shut down.