City, State, and federal law enforcement officials announced the unsealing on Friday, Nov. 14, of a complaint charging seven Bronx men and one Upstate New York man in connection with running a years-long car theft operation primarily in The Bronx and Queens involving over 100 stolen cars, primarily Honda, Acura, and Jeep vehicles, estimated to be worth millions of dollars.

 

Jay Clayton, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ricky J. Patel, special agent in charge of the New York field office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, and Superintendent of the NYS Police Steven G. James said the defendants are charged with conspiracy to possess and sell stolen vehicles, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

 

The defendants were named as Pedro Manuel Lopez Marte, 38, of The Bronx, Jerry Lopez Paulino, 33, of The Bronx; Sergio Diaz Ramirez, 35, of The Bronx; Pedro Rojas, 62, of The Bronx; Justin Martha, 24, of The Bronx, Erick Rojas Cruz, 27, of The Bronx; Jose Ferreira, 48, of The Bronx; and Ronald Arias Santos, 30, of Hempstead, New York.

 

They were each charged with one count of conspiracy to possess and sell stolen vehicles, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

 

They said six of the defendants were arrested Thursday, Nov. 13, and presented in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky. “New Yorkers have every right to expect safety and security on our streets and in our homes,” said Clayton. “New Yorkers are smart. They know that car theft rings and other fraud schemes inflict great harm on their victims and cost all of us.”

He continued, “As alleged, the eight men charged stole cars from the streets of New York, time and again, and trafficked them to unsuspecting buyers along the East Coast, causing millions of dollars in losses. Yesterday’s arrests reinforce that when thieves prey upon hardworking New Yorkers, the women and men of the SDNY and our law enforcement partners will bring them to justice on behalf of all law-abiding New Yorkers.”

 

Patel said the announcement highlighted what he described as HSI New York’s “unwavering commitment” to ensuring a safer community and to pursuing all individuals and co-conspirators allegedly tied to the auto theft ring. “This is not a victimless crime; a stolen car disrupts daily life and inflicts lasting harm on innocent New Yorkers, robbing them of their sense of security and stability,” he said.

 

“The public deserves to know their neighborhoods are safe, that they can park their vehicles without fear, and that their hard-earned purchases are protected,” Patel added. “HSI New York, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will continue to identify, dismantle, and deter the criminal networks that exploit our neighborhoods and threaten our livelihoods.”

 

According to the allegations contained in the complaint, from around March 2022 through November 2025, the defendants and others conspired to steal cars, primarily those parked on the street in The Bronx or Queens, and sell them to unsuspecting buyers across the East Coast.

 

After stealing the cars, the defendants and their co-conspirators stashed them in so-called lay-up spots for a cooling-off period to avoid law enforcement detection. Meanwhile, they took steps to disguise the fact that the cars were stolen. They altered the cars’ Vehicle Identification Numbers (“VINs”) and then obtained services for the cars, often an oil change, using the new, fake VINs.

 

This allowed the defendants to obtain vehicle history reports that appeared to show genuine maintenance and other activity, thereby helping the defendants to trick purchasers into believing the car they were buying was not stolen. The defendants then offered to sell the stolen cars, generally starting on social media platform that allow users to buy and sell products and then completing the sale in person.

 

Tisch said Hondas continue to represent a significant number of auto thefts in New York City, and the NYPD was doing exactly what it does “best to combat crime: finding the criminals responsible and stopping their illegal operations.” She added, “Through precision policing and a multi-year investigation, the world’s greatest detectives dismantled this massive criminal ring and I want to thank the NYPD investigators for their commitment to this case, as well as HSI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their continued partnership.”

 

For his part, James highlighted the collaboration among law enforcement partners at all levels involved in the investigation. “The defendants had no regard for the financial damage they inflicted or for the safety of the victims,” he said. “I commend the efforts of all those involved in bringing this criminal activity to an end and for the outstanding work that led to the charges in this case.”

 

As reported, seven Bronx men were charged in April 2025, with a $6.6 million luxury car theft operation in New Jersey, using Bronx storage and shipment to West Africa.

 

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

 

Clayton praised the work of the NYPD’s auto crime division major case team, the special agents and task force officers from the HSI New York Seaport Trade Group, and the NYS Police auto theft unit. The case is being handled by the Office of U.S. Attorneys for the Southern District of New York’s general crimes unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Mandilk is in charge of the prosecution.

 

The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.