TAMPA -- A five-year investigation leads to charges for as many as 27 people, accused of being involved in what law enforcement says was a sophisticated car theft ring. (25 of them are listed below.)
FDLE says "Operation Gone in 60 Days" began in 2018. Agents were looking into a group supposedly selling fraudulent commercial driver licenses. What they found was a lot bigger. They found a criminal organization based in Tampa, slapping fake VIN numbers on high-end cars, such as Prosches, Maseratis, and Land Rovers, that were stolen or obtained fraudulently. They then sold them at way below market value with phony tags, often defrauding innocent customers. Worse yet, they sometime sold fake auto insurance to the victims.
Insurance companies were also victimized, as many of the vehicles were reported as stolen.
The crime team included an expert who would apply the fake VINs. Another specialized in getting the fraudulent tags, which would expire in 60 days, thus the operation's name.
FDLE says suspected ringleader Raismel Cruz was arrested in 2020 and didn't get the message.
The suspects are from Tampa, Mulberry, Miami, Kissimmee, Cape Coral and other locations around Florida. (List below from FDLE):
- Raismel Cruz, 38, of Tampa
- Arrested on October 6, 2020, and June 20, 2023, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, organized fraud over $50,000, grand theft, grand theft of a motor vehicle, conspiracy to commit grand theft of a motor vehicle, dealing in stolen property, counterfeiting payment instruments, uttering forged instruments, conspiracy to commit false and fraudulent insurance claims, altering the VIN of a motor vehicle, fraudulent use of personal identification information, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device
- Norisa Janelle Cruz, 41, of Tampa
- Arrested October 6, 2020, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, conspiracy to commit grand theft of motor vehicles, dealing in stolen property, conspiracy to commit false and fraudulent insurance claims, conspiracy to utter forged instruments, and altering the VIN of a motor vehicle
- Yassiel Rosado-Gonzalez, 34, of Tampa
- Arrested October 6, 2020, and February 11, 2022, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering, grand theft, conspiracy to commit grand theft of a motor vehicle, uttering forged instruments, conspiracy to utter forged instruments, solicitation to utter forged instruments, conspiracy to commit false and fraudulent insurance claims, altering the VIN of a motor vehicle, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device
- Aleny Margarita Lopez, 30, of Tampa
- Arrested March 15, 2022, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with money laundering, grand theft, and uttering a forged instrument
- Lilian Yennifer Mesa-Cruz, 29, of Mulberry
- Arrested October 6, 2020, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with insurance fraud, grand theft, uttering a forged instrument, and possession of a vehicle with an altered VIN
- Oney Tomas-Gamboa, 39, of Tampa
- Arrested June 20, 2023, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering
- Mariangel Lizardo-Peraza, 29, of Miami Gardens
- Arrested June 20, 2023, and booked into Miami-Dade County Jail
- Charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering
- Roberto Marrero-Cisnero, 66, of Miami
- In federal custody
- Charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering
- Fernando Rodriguez, 46, of Valrico
- Arrested June 20, 2023, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering
- Ernesto Rodriguez, 51, of Valrico
- Arrested June 20, 2023, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle and dealing in stolen property
- Luis Enrique Rios-Fonseca, 30, of Tampa
- Arrested June 21, 2023, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with conspiracy to deal in stolen property
- Lazaro Velazquez-Gomez, 27, of Spring Hill
- Arrested June 20, 2023, and booked into Hernando County Jail
- Charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering
- Leandro Perez-Pulido, 47, of Plant City
- Arrested June 20, 2023, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with grand theft and dealing in stolen property
- Jennifer Hernandez-Torres, 38, of Plant City
- Arrested June 20, 2023, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with dealing in stolen property
- Israel Alain Vasquez-Gomez, 53, of Tampa
- Arrested October 6, 2020, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle and conspiracy to commit grand theft of a motor vehicle
- Abdiel Hernandez-Noda, 47, of Tampa
- Arrested October 22, 2020, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with giving a false report to law enforcement, false and fraudulent insurance claims, and conspiracy to commit false and fraudulent insurance claims
- Jorge Manuel Gonzalez-Aris, 33, of Miami
- Arrested September 17, 2019, and booked into Miami-Dade County Jail
- Charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, possession of certificate title with the intent to defraud, and driving while license suspended
- Dolnnis Quesada-Nuñez, 33, of Tampa
- Arrested January 7, 2022, and booked into Miami-Dade County Jail
- Charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle and possession of a motor vehicle with an altered VIN
- Kiara Cherise Bankston, 24, of Tampa
- Arrested June 20, 2023, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle and dealing in stolen property
- Adrian Hernandez-Hernandez, 45, of Tampa
- Arrested June 20, 2023, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, dealing in stolen property, and possession of a motor vehicle with an altered VIN
- Jose Angel Oro, 56, of Tampa
- Arrested June 20, 2023, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, dealing in stolen property, and possession of a motor vehicle with an altered VIN
- Juan Santa Cruz Ortiz, 31, of Tampa
- Arrested June 20, 2023, and booked into Hillsborough County Jail
- Charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, dealing in stolen property, and possession of a motor vehicle with an altered VIN
- Alberto J. Sandoval-Mejia, 37, of Cape Coral
- Arrested on June 23, 2023, and booked into Lee County Jail
- Charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle
- Maday Rodriguez Iglesias, 49, of Tampa
- Wanted for conspiracy to commit racketeering
- Jose Luis Hernandez-Mercado, 26, of Kissimmee
- Wanted for grand theft of a motor vehicle, dealing in stolen property, and possession of a motor vehicle with an altered VIN
All charges are felonies.
Photo: Canva