Authorities allege the year-long operation stole more than 90 high-end vehicles before sending many to buyers in West Africa.
TRENTON, N.J. — Sixty-three people have been charged in what New Jersey authorities describe as a sprawling auto theft trafficking enterprise that allegedly stole more than 90 luxury vehicles worth over $8 million and shipped many of them to buyers in West Africa.
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor and the New Jersey State Police announced the charges Monday following a year-long investigation into the alleged criminal network.
According to investigators, the organization operated throughout New Jersey and New York between June 2025 and June 2026. Authorities allege members targeted high-end vehicles, including Range Rovers, Porsches and BMWs, often committing residential burglaries to steal key fobs before taking the vehicles.
Prosecutors allege the stolen vehicles were transported to brokers and ultimately sold to buyers who shipped many of them to destinations including Ghana and Nigeria.
All 63 defendants have been charged with first-degree racketeering. Many also face additional second- and third-degree charges, including participation in an auto theft trafficking network, motor vehicle theft, receiving stolen property and residential burglary.
Investigators identified Fatim Wingate, 26, Brian J. Peppers, 35, Adamu Alhassan, 28, and Standford Oduro, 55, all of Newark, as alleged leaders or key participants in the enterprise.
Authorities allege Wingate and Peppers managed theft crews responsible for stealing luxury vehicles and arranging their sale. Oduro is accused of operating a shipping yard in Irvington where stolen vehicles were allegedly stored, loaded into shipping containers and prepared for transport through ports in New Jersey and New York.
According to the investigation, multiple stolen vehicles were recovered from shipping containers before they could leave the country.
The investigation was led by the New Jersey State Police Motor Vehicle Crimes North Unit and involved numerous local, state and federal agencies, including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Marshals Service and the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.
As with all criminal cases, the charges are accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Key Points
- Sixty-three people were charged in an alleged auto theft trafficking enterprise involving more than 90 luxury vehicles worth over $8 million.
- Authorities allege stolen Range Rovers, BMWs and Porsches were shipped to buyers in Ghana and Nigeria.
- All defendants face first-degree racketeering charges, with many also charged with vehicle theft, burglary and related offenses.