Wake the Lakes “Moron Lawbreaker of the Week” 9-5-23

Six people have been convicted and sentenced in New York for stealing more than $3 million worth of cash, cars, and merchandise in a string of crimes because they repeatedly posted photos of themselves on social media with the stolen goods – sitting in just-stolen cars, holding wads of just-stolen cash, with no mask covering their faces. A Bronx car-theft crew behind a major $3 million crime ring was busted after members were caught flashing wads of cash and stolen vehicles on social media, authorities said. Six members crew were caught targeting car dealerships, cell phone stores and ATM businesses amid a soaring grand larceny auto rate in New York City, according to Attorney General Letitia James. They pleaded guilty to more than 200 thefts last week and all six were sent to prison, according to prosecutors. In total, the thieves stole a staggering $3 million worth of goods, including at least 54 vehicles. Members of the crew often rubbed their misdeeds in the face of investigators by flaunting stolen cars and piles of cash on Instagram. Bronx residents Willie Baines, Josepher Cartagena, Brandon Collazo-Rivera, Justin Herrera, Douglas Noble, and Alexander Santiago would smash windows of car dealerships at night and drive cars right through the broken glass, prosecutors said. In some instances, they would taunt police by waiting for cops to respond to burglar alarms before leading them on high-speed chases through residential neighborhoods in scenes that wouldn’t be out of place in a “Fast & Furious” movie, officials said. The suspects flaunted their stolen money and cars online, sometimes right after their heists, officials said. A 13-month investigation led by the NYPD’s Auto Crime Unit and the AG’s Organized Crime Task Force was dubbed “Operation Redline,” due to the redlining of speedometers in the stolen cars as the goons reached dangerously high speeds. The reckless criminals would often take to Instagram just moments after their crime sprees to show off the stolen goods, which helped investigators connect them to the crimes. The crime spree spanned businesses in the city, its northern suburbs, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut.