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Operation SCARLET: 4 defendants sentenced for multi-state luxury car theft ring

CHARLOTTE — The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina announced on Friday it sentenced four defendants arrested during Operation SCARLET, a task force that targets thieves who steal from car dealerships.

In 2023, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department reported Operation SCARLET task force worked with agencies in 11 states to recover 132 stolen cars worth more than $11 million.

The defendants used several tactics to steal vehicles from dealerships, including posing as customers, swapping key fobs, and conducting “smash and grab” thefts, according to the DA. They frequently stole multiple vehicles at once, causing significant financial losses. To evade detection, they removed GPS systems, used fake tags, and altered Vehicle Identification Numbers before selling the stolen cars locally at below-market prices.

The defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport, possess, and sell stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and were sentenced as follows:

  • Dewanne Lamar White, 44, of Sumter, South Carolina, was sentenced to 108 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. White also pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
  • Kevin Ja’Coryen James Fields, 28, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 96 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Fields also pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.
  • Reginald Eugene Hill, 25, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
  • Garyka Vaughn Bost, 26, of Denver, North Carolina, was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release.

VIDEO: Inside Operation SCARLET, CMPD’s task force to stop high-end car theft

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