|
TRENTON
- Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Division
of Criminal Justice Director Stephen J.
Taylor announced that two Essex County men
have been charged in separate state grand
jury indictments for their alleged roles
in a stolen vehicle ring.
According
to Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Ronald
Chillemi, Reginald E. Lee, Jr., 38, of Glen
Ridge, was charged on Friday (June 3) with
being a leader of an auto theft trafficking
network, and receiving stolen property,
both in the second degree, as well as two
counts of third-degree alteration of motor
vehicle identification numbers.
The
indictment against Lee charges that between
Aug. 15, and Oct. 16, 2006, he organized,
supervised and managed a scheme utilizing
other individuals as suppliers and drivers
of stolen vehicles and sold those vehicles
to third parties.
The
indictment further alleges that Lee was
in possession of stolen vehicles valued
at a total of approximately $243,645, knowing
that the vehicles had been stolen. The stolen
vehicles included: a 2001 Honda Accord;
a 2006 Kawasaki ZX636 motorcycle; a 2003
Dodge Ram 50; a 1998 Land Rover Discovery;
a 2003 Ford Econoline Conversion Van; a
1998 Toyota 4Runner; a 2004 Ford Econoline
Conversion Van; a 1999 Mercedes Benz E430;
a 2002 Subaru WRX; a 2005 Infinity FX35;
a 2006 Dodge Charger; a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica;
a 2004 BMW M5; a 2004 Ford Explorer; and
a 2006 Audi A3.
The
indictment also alleges that Lee was in
possession of two vehicles that had altered
or missing vehicle identification numbers
for the purpose of hiding the identity of
the vehicles. They were a 1999 Chevrolet
S-10 and the 2002 Subaru WRX mentioned above.
A
separate state grand jury indictment obtained
Friday charged A’Jon D. Rogers, 26,
of East Orange, with third-degree receiving
stolen property.
The
indictment against Rogers alleges that on
Nov. 1, 2006, he was in possession of an
Infinity FX 35, knowing that it had been
stolen.
The
charges against both defendants were the
result of an undercover investigation by
the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
into a stolen vehicle ring. The investigation
involved detectives from the Office of the
Insurance Fraud Prosecutor working in an
undercover capacity to purchase stolen vehicles.
Detective
Jarek Pyrzanowski and Deputy Attorney General
Steven Bennet were assigned to the investigation.
Bennet presented the cases to the state
grand jury.
The
indictments are merely accusations. The
defendants are presumed to be innocent unless
and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable
doubt. Second-degree crimes carry a maximum
punishment of 10 years in state prison and
a criminal fine of $150,000, while crimes
of the third degree carry a maximum punishment
of five years in state prison and a criminal
fine of $15,000.
###
|
