TROY — Members of a crime syndicate involved in the theft of hundreds of vehicles in the tri-county area were recently sentenced after their arrests by local law enforcement agencies.

Previously, in May 2024, the state’s Focused Organized Retail Crime Enforcement team — also known as FORCE — arrested and charged six members of the alleged crime ring for the theft of more than 400 vehicles in southeast Michigan, a value of approximately $8 million.

The suspects targeted new vehicle storage lots at manufacturing facilities, car dealerships, parking lots and individual residences. The stolen vehicles were then sold exponentially below market value on the black market to buyers seeking unregistered vehicles.

The group operated in more than 40 jurisdictions, primarily in Oakland, Macomb, Way

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