TRENTON - Attorney General
Paula T. Dow and Division of Criminal Justice
Director Stephen J. Taylor announced that
two men have pleaded guilty for their roles
in a multi-county automobile and motorcycle
theft ring.
According to Acting Insurance
Fraud Prosecutor Riza Dagli, Tito Moses,
36, of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and Abdullah
Drake, 34, of Irvington, pleaded guilty
yesterday (March 3) before Superior Court
Judge Michael A. Petrolle in Essex County
to separate accusations charging each of
them with second-degree fencing.
Judge Petrolle scheduled
sentencing for June 2. The state will recommend
that each defendant be sentenced to up to
six years in state prison.
In pleading guilty, Moses and Drake admitted
that on Nov. 10, 2009, they were trafficking
in a stolen 2008 BMW 750, valued at approximately
$85,000, and a 2009 Nissan 370Z valued at
approximately $35,000, knowing that they
had been stolen.
The guilty pleas are part
of an on-going investigation into a multi-county
automobile and motorcycle theft ring. On
November 10, 2009, detectives from Office
of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor and officers
from the Essex/Union Auto Theft Task Force
arrested six individuals in Newark, believed
to be involved in the automobile theft trafficking
ring.
Detective Jarek Pyrzanowski and Deputy Attorney
General John J. Higgins were assigned to
the investigation. DAG Higgins represented
the State at the guilty plea hearing. Acting
Prosecutor Dagli thanked the Essex/Union
Auto Theft Task Force for their assistance
in the investigation.
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