12 charged in thefts of high end cars from dealerships in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut
BOSTON - Twelve people have been charged in Massachusetts in a huge theft ring involving expensive cars at dealerships in three states over the last year-and-a-half.
According to the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, the group stole 63 high end vehicles worth more than a total of $2.6 million from June 2023 to this month.
"Operation Hellcat"
Local police in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut joined federal investigators in the year-long investigation called "Operation Hellcat."
They say the suspects worked in groups, some as large as 10 people, to coordinate thefts at car dealerships in the three states.
According to Brockton Police, the groups hit dealerships between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.
Key fob car thefts
"The group allegedly used Autel programming devices that allow users to take a blank key fob and create a fully functioning key for the vehicle. After breaking into the vehicles, the suspects connected the Autel device into the vehicle, allowing them to create a new key fob within minutes," the attorney general's office said in a statement Monday.
Investigators said several of the 12 suspects had also ordered devices online to convert semi-automatic guns into "fully automatic machine guns."
Police seized several guns, ammunition and key fobs as they arrested the 12 last Thursday in raids in Brockton, Fall River, and North Easton. All were arraigned in Brockton District Court. They ranged in age from 18 to 58 years old.
Investigators were still looking for a 13th person as of Monday.
Thirty-eight local and federal law enforcement agencies were involved in "Operation Hellcat."