TAMPA, Fla. — Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested a group accused of stealing nearly $2.5 million worth of vehicles in the state of Florida, deputies said in a news release.
The investigation, "Operation Family Affair," lasted from March until August this year and reportedly revealed that the group stole from dealerships across the following Florida counties:
- Columbia
- Pasco
- Pinellas
- Alachua
- Marion
- Polk
- Manatee
- Sarasota
- Lee
- Collier
- Hillsborough
Three adults and two teens were arrested with one suspect outstanding, according to the sheriff's office. Rafael Garcia, Bisma Sial and Enzo Oliveira are facing several charges, including violating The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and multiple counts of grand theft, deputies said.
The two teens, a 16-year-old and 17-year-old, are facing similar charges, according to the sheriff's office.
Two of the five that were arrested are brothers and reportedly ran the group. Both of them have lengthy criminal histories.
Four arrests were made in Hillsborough County, according to authorities, while Sial was arrested by Pasco County deputies.
Deputies said the group would smash a window or sunroof to get to the cars and use a programmer to create a new key for each one they stole. Those cars would then be taken to a storage unit to have parts removed or sold to a buyer, according to the sheriff's office.
Some of the cars the group allegedly stole reportedly included high-end Chrysler models like the Charger Hellcat and Challenger Hellcat. The group is also accused of stealing other high-end models like the Chevrolet Corvette, the Jeep TrackHawk and more.
Hillsborough deputies arrest group accused of stealing $2.5M worth of vehicles
In the release, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister stated that "there is no place for vehicle theft in Florida."
"These individuals not only conspired to commit a continuous pattern of crime but were deriving substantial profits from their activity," Chronister stated.
State Attorney General Ashley Moody added, "This organized crime ring terrorized car dealerships stealing 30 new vehicles from 20 lots in 12 different Florida counties."
Deputies are still searching for the last suspect, the agency said.
