Gloucester Township Man Charged In Statewide Car Theft Ring

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — A Gloucester Township man is one of six people who have been charged in connection with an auto theft ring in which key fobs were stolen from cars at dealerships in Essex, Hudson, Bergen, and Union counties, Acting Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck announced on Friday.

Charges against 27-year-old Tyheem A. Pollard-Raines, of the Blackwood section of the township, don’t relate to the dealership thefts, though.

He is specifically accused of stealing a 2018 Dodge Durango from a driveway in Moorestown in Burlington County on May 19, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed in the case. He was arrested on a warrant issued in June, authorities said.

He has been charged with third-degree receiving stolen property and third-degree theft by unlawful taking, according to authorities. He has been released from custody.

In all, the six people charged as the result of the New Jersey State Police “Operation Dealer No Deal,” are accused of stealing 22 cars that were worth more than $787,000 in May and June of this year, according to authorities. The others charged include:

1. Khiree A. Smith, 29, of Newark;
2. Brian Peppers, 30, of Newark;
3. Kaiyir T. Green, 19, of Newark;
4. Alquan A. Harris, 22, of East Orange; and
5. Sharieff N. Copeland, 25, of East Orange.

Of the cars stolen:

• 14 were high-end vehicles, including Mercedes, BMWs, Land Rovers, Audis, Infinitis, and a Ford Raptor;
• 10 vehicles and a safe containing approximately $52,000 in cash were stolen from an Irvington car dealership on June 4;
• 5 vehicles were stolen from a Jersey City dealership on June 10; and
• 6 vehicles were stolen from an Englewood dealership on June 14. The theft ring also allegedly burglarized a car dealership in Hillside, N.J., on June 10, stealing non-functioning key fobs.

“We’re cracking down on the criminal enterprises that endanger our state’s residents and businesses, and these arrests demonstrate our ongoing commitment to that effort,” Bruck said. “We’re focusing the resources of the New Jersey State Police and the Division of Criminal Justice on our most pressing public safety challenges.”

“The suspects arrested during this operation allegedly accumulated stolen vehicles worth almost a million dollars from these high-end auto thefts, and as a result of this investigation, these criminals were stopped in their tracks,” New Jersey State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan said. “Although these auto theft enterprises are always evolving and using different methods to fund their networks, we will continue to adapt and work with our partners to take down these criminals.”

The Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) Specialized Crimes Bureau obtained a state grand jury indictment on Nov. 10 charging all defendants except Copeland with various offenses related to the burglaries at the car dealerships in Englewood, Jersey City, and Hillside, and the vehicle theft in Moorestown, authorities said.

Smith, Peppers, Green and Harris have also been charged with second- or third-degree counts of theft, receiving stolen property, and burglary. Smith, Peppers, Green and Harris were also charged with second-degree conspiracy.

Peppers and Smith are also charged with second-degree eluding. This relates to high-speed chases Peppers led New Jersey State Police on in East Brunswick on June 10, and another chase Smith led Oceanport police on the following day, authorities said.

“This was a prolific criminal enterprise that deployed theft crews after hours to break into dealerships, stealing key fobs and driving off with up to 10 high-end cars at a time,” Director Lyndsay V. Ruotolo of the Division of Criminal Justice, said. “I commend the detectives in the State Police Auto Theft Task Force and the attorneys in our Specialized Crimes Bureau for ending this costly crime spree.”

Copeland was arrested on Thursday on newly filed charges alleging that he and Peppers participated—along with other individuals who remain under investigation—in the theft of 10 vehicles from the car dealership in Irvington on June 4. Copeland and Peppers were charged by complaint-warrant on Nov. 16 with second-degree conspiracy to commit theft, second-degree conspiracy to commit receiving stolen property, and third-degree burglary.

Smith, Peppers, and Harris are being held in jail pending trial. Green and Pollard-Raines were released from custody. Copeland is lodged in the Essex County Correctional Facility pending a first appearance.

Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000, while third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.