Test-drive tricks got thieves into luxury car dealerships — then federal court in NC
A Charlotte man who test drove his way to the top of a luxury car theft ring was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison Wednesday.
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Hosea Fernandez Hampton Jr. led a group that stole more than 100 high-end cars — like Bentley, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Cadillac, Land Rover and Porsche — across the country, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina said in a statement.
Hampton in August pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport, possess and sell stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and possession of a stolen motor vehicle, court documents show. Four others also pleaded guilty to similar charges and are serving sentences ranging from one year to nine years.
Hampton and his group often stole car keys during test drives, leaving fake keys in their place, according to U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson’s office. They would then steal the cars, alter VIN numbers and remove GPS tracking, according to court documents. Sometimes, they’d simply break into the dealership and steal the keys.
The group stole cars from South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Arizona and typically resold them in Charlotte from 2021 to 2023, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.
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A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department investigation busted the multi-state scheme, recovering 132 stolen cars valued at $11.5 million.
Ferguson’s office said Dewanne Lamar White was sentenced to nine years in prison, Kevin Ja’Coryen James Fields was sentenced to eight years, Reginald Eugene Hill was sentenced to five years and Garyka Vaughn Bost was sentenced to one year and one day.
“This was a sophisticated car-stealing operation by professional criminals across multiple states,” Ferguson said in a statement. “Hampton now has years behind bars to contemplate whether a life of crime is worth the loss of his freedom.”
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