Indicted DC Auto-Theft Ring Used Key-Fob Hacks Across States
A six-member DC-area auto-theft ring is charged in a 15-count indictment with stealing at least 20 cars and possibly more than 100 in DC and 30 in Prince George’s County, transporting them across state lines, disguising them at storage sites, and selling them in the U.S. and Ghana. The scheme allegedly used electronic devices to reprogram cars to accept blank key fobs and involved vehicles such as Honda Civics/CRVs and Acura TLXs/RDXs, with GPS/Bluetooth disabled to avoid detection. One co-defendant remains at large. The investigation spans MPD, the DC U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, and Prince George’s County PD, with ongoing inquiries into additional thefts and seizures in Georgia. Prosecutors include AUSA Jacob Green, Michael Lee, and Trial Attorney Haley Pennington.
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