May 17—Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley announced May 17 that a Cuyahoga County grand jury returned an indictment charging 11 individuals on several charges including Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity for breaking into 26 car dealerships and stealing vehicles in Northeast Ohio.
Law enforcement agencies included in the Amherst Police Department and the North Olmsted Police Department, the release said.
Makilin Wilson, 20, Rasheed Rountree, 21, Kyer Allen, 19, Dahmere Lymon, 19, Willie Hicks, 22, Ty’aun Williams, 20, Theon Avery, 20, Shaakir Maddox, 21, Arthur Robinson, 21, Laejuan Robinson, 18, and Cory Phillips, 18, are facing charges, according to a news release.
“These 11 men operated a criminal organization that targeted multiple dealerships in 11 counties across Northeast Ohio,” said Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley. “Their crime spree caused significant damage to the dealerships they hit, the people they affected, and the communities surrounding them. I would like to personally thank the great efforts of the 34 law enforcement agencies that took this group out of commission. They will be held responsible.”
From Nov. 2 to March 17, the men broke into 26 car dealerships and three apartment complexes in 27 cities in 11 counties and stole 86 vehicles with an estimated value of $5.1 million, according to the release.
A total of 32 incidents occurred at 26 dealerships — some dealerships were broken into multiple times — and three additional incidents occurred at three different residential complexes, the release said.
In some instances, the defendants used the stolen vehicles to commit violent crimes, including an assault on a peace officer Jan. 5, and a drive-by shooting Feb. 14, according to the release.
Additionally, in some instances, the police officers responded to the scene at the car dealerships and the defendants lead the officers on high speed pursuits, the release said.
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The investigation was conducted by 34 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies including: Cleveland Division of Police; Euclid Police Department; Parma Police Department; Strongsville Police Department; Bedford Police Department; Solon Police Department; Brooklyn Police Department; Middleburg Heights Police Department; Norton Police Department; Akron Police Department; Copley Police Department; Canton Police Department; Alliance Police Department; Ashland Police Department; and Chardon Police Department.
Other agencies include Dalton Police Department; Wooster Police Department; Malvern Police Department; Willoughby Police Department; Mentor Police Department; Painesville Police Department; Medina Township Police Department; Brunswick Division of Police; Ravenna Police Department; Geauga County Sheriff’s Office; Medina County Sheriff’s Office; Lake County Sheriff’s Office; Carroll County Sheriff’s Office; Ashland County Sheriff’s Office; and with assistance from the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Marshals.
Eleven counties were affected.
In Cuyahoga County, the nine cities were Cleveland, Parma, Mayfield Heights, Strongsville, North Olmsted, Bedford, Solon, Euclid and Brooklyn, according to the release.
At the seven dealerships and three residences, 32 cars were stolen with an estimated value of $1.56 million, the release said.
Two cars were stolen in Lorain County from an Amherst dealership with a value of over $71,980, according to the release.
In Lake County, thieves stole seven vehicles from dealerships in Willoughby, Mentor and Painesville for a total of $340,164, the release said.
In Geauga County, the culprits stole three vehicles from a Chardon dealership with a total value of $218,710, according to the release.
Medina, Wayne, Portage County, Ashland, Stark, Summit and Carroll counties were listed with vehicle thefts, the release said.
The 86 vehicles that were stolen and charged in the indictment include four Dodge Chargers, 14 Dodge Challengers, one Cadillac, 12 BMWs, one Jeep Wrangler, two Ford Mustangs, 10 Jeep Grand Cherokees, five Land Rovers, one Range Rover, 14 Mercedes Benzes, four Audis, two Dodge Rams, one Jeep Compass, one Chevrolet Tahoe, one Ford Expedition, one Kia K5, seven Dodge Durangos, one Porsche, two Jaguars, one Lexus and one Volvo.
With cooperation from the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office, Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, Geauga County prosecutor’s Office, Medina County Prosecutor’s Office, Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, Portage County Prosecutor’s Office, Ashland County Prosecutor’s Office, Stark County Prosecutor’s Office, Summit County Prosecutor’s Office and Carroll County Prosecutor’s Office, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office elected to proceed with jurisdiction, the release said.