13 Gang Members Indicted On Car Thefts And Credit Card Fraud On LI: DA

BRENTWOOD, NY — Thirteen gang members involved in vehicle theft and credit card fraud ring have been indicted, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced Tuesday.

The 250-count indictment involved 13 alleged members of the Hempstead/Freeport-based gang 5L, or the CC Boyz, who used real estate apps such as Zillow and Realtor.com to target neighborhoods where they broke into and stole cars and credit cards, the DA said.

The defendants broke into more than 52 vehicles and stole 15 of them around Long Island, the DA said.

They used the stolen credit cards to make more than $40,000 in fraudulent purchases at Long Island stores including Target and Apple and would then sell the items purchased with the stolen cards for cash, the DA said.

According to Tierney, the investigation began in December 2023 after officials identified a pattern of car break-ins and credit card thefts between February 2023 and August 2024 across Suffolk County.

Tierney said they used the apps to target affluent neighborhoods in Suffolk County where residents were likely to leave their car FOB and wallets in their parked cars. In addition, the gang members looked for clues that meant key FOBs were left in a vehicle, such as the side view mirrors not being retracted, which occurs when the FOB is removed from the vehicle.

Once a gang member stole a credit card from a vehicle, Tierney said, the thieves used the card first thing in the morning before the owners had a chance to realize they were stolen and cancel the cards.

The defendants, led by Shawn Mullen, Zion Fenner, Travon Brandon-Douse, Jaquan Wilson and Edwin Pierre, allegedly engaged in what they called "car checking" or "cc-ing," which involved travelling to Suffolk County late at night or in the early morning hours and breaking into vehicles to steal contents, particularly wallets and credit cards, or the vehicles themselves, the DA said.

The defendants also allegedly targeted locations such as assisted living homes, golf courses, hotels, and high-end gyms, where they believed victims would be likely to leave their vehicles for a prolonged period of time, often with their personal property within the vehicle.

While most of the incidents involved unlocked vehicles, the defendants are also charged with breaking the windows of 14 vehicles to gain access to locked vehicles, the DA said.

The defendants would allegedly use the stolen vehicles to travel to other locations throughout Suffolk County to "car check," often switching license plates on the vehicles to avoid detection by law enforcement and eventually abandoning the vehicles in locations around Nassau and Suffolk County when they were able to acquire a new stolen vehicle, the DA said.

In August 2024, search warrants were executed at Mullen’s Hempstead residence and Fenner’s Freeport home, the DA said. Officials recovered several cell phones and a trove of stolen property including over 100 driver’s licenses, 45 credit or debit cards, 20 checkbooks, passports, social security cards and other stolen property from Mullen's house, the DA said.

Law enforcement also found cell phones, a number of credit and debit cards and two firearms from Fenner's residence, including a firearm stolen from a vehicle in Suffolk County in September 2023, the DA said.

According to the DA, law enforcement also uncovered a separate, related grand larceny conspiracy that Mullen, Jaquan Wilson, Rahmadon Cruz and others were allegedly engaging in while also participating in the car-checking scheme. In this scheme, the investigation revealed that Mullen and others would gain online access to the bank accounts of unsuspecting account holders through an e-mail phishing scheme, change account addresses, have debit cards mailed to accomplices and withdraw over $50,000 from victim’s accounts, the DA said.

On March 3, 2025, nine of the 13 defendants were arrested by members of the Suffolk County Police Department with the assistance of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, United States Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force, Nassau County Police Department, Hempstead Police Department, Freeport Police Department and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the DA said.

During the arrests, law enforcement recovered an additional loaded firearm from the location where defendant Joshua Lee Garrett was arrest, the DA said. Of the remaining four defendants, three are in custody on unrelated matters and will be arrested and arraigned at a later date while Rahmadon Cruz is still at large, the DA said.

Shawn Mullen, 24, of Hempstead, faces a top count of second-degree grand larceny, a Class C Felony, the DA said. He is charged in this indictment with a total of 197 counts, including 178 felony charges after allegedly breaking into around 35 vehicles and stealing 14 of them, the DA said.

He has been held on bail since August 2024 and on March 3, he was arrested on additional charges contained within the indictment and arraigned before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven A Pilewski, who ordered him held on $1,000,000 cash, $5,000,000 bond, or $10,000,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case, the DA said.

Mullen is due back in court on April 2, faces 5 to 15 years in prison if convicted on the top count and is eligible for consecutive sentences if convicted of multiple charges, the DA said. He is being represented by Katherine Fernandez.

Trevon Brandon-Douse, 26, of Freeport, faces a top count of second-degree grand larceny in the, a Class C Felony, and is charged with a total of 79 counts, including 73 felonies, the DA said. He allegedly broke into around 20 vehicles and stole four of them, the DA said.

On March 3, Brandon-Douse was arrested and arraigned on the indictment before Justice Pilewski, who ordered him held on $500,000 cash, $1,000,000 bond, or $5,000,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case, the DA said. He is due back in court on April 2 and faces 5 to 15 years in prison if convicted on the top count, the DA said. He is being represented by Christopher Gioe.

Zion Fenner, 25, of Freeport, faces a top count of third-degree grand larceny, a Class D Felony, and is charged with a total of 62 counts including 59 felonies after allegedly breaking into 10 vehicles and stealing three of them, the DA said.

On March 3, Fenner was arrested and arraigned on the indictment before Justice Pilewski, who ordered him held on $500,000 cash, $1,000,000 bond, or $5,000,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case, the DA said. He is due back in court on March 10 and faces 2 1⁄3 to 7 years in prison if convicted on the top count and is eligible for consecutive sentences if convicted of multiple charges, the DA said. He is being represented by James Kasourous.

Additional indicted defendants:

Jaquan Wilson, 21, of Hempstead, faces a top count of second-degree grand larceny, a Class C felony, the DA said. Pilewski set bail in the amount of $100,000 cash, $200,000 bond, $1,000,000 partially secured bond, the DA said. Wilson is due back in court on April 1 and faces 5 to 15 years in prison if convicted on the top count, the DA said. He is being represented by Joseph Hanshe.

Edwin Pierre, 25, of Freeport, faces a top count of second-degree grand larceny, a Class C felony, the DA said. Pierre was released from jail without bail because his charges are considered non-bail eligible under current New York State law, meaning prosecutors cannot ask for, and judges cannot set bail, the DA said. He is due back in court on April 2 and faces up to 5 to 15 years in prison if convicted on the top count, the DA said. Pierre is being represented by John Halverson.

Damien Patrice, 27, of Hempstead, faces a top count of second-degree grand larceny, a Class C felony, the DA said. Patrice is currently in New York State Department of Corrections custody on an unrelated matter and will be arraigned on the indictment on March 19, the DA said. He faces up to 7 1⁄2 to 15 years in prison, if convicted on the top count, the DA said.

Jarell Lanier, 25, of Freeport, faces a top count of fourth-degree grand larceny, a Class E felony, the DA said. Lanier is currently in New York State Department of Corrections custody on an unrelated matter and will be arraigned on the indictment on March 19. He faces 1 1⁄3 to 4 years in prison, if convicted on the top count, the DA said.

Jamal Woodside, 24, of Freeport, faces a top count of third-degree grand larceny, a Class D felony, the DA said. He is currently in New York State Department of Corrections custody on an unrelated matter and will be arraigned on the indictment on March 19. He faces up to 2 1⁄3 to 7 years in prison, if convicted on the top count, the DA said.

Kavon Wilson, 21, of Hempstead, faces a top count of fourth-degree conspiracy, a Class E felony, the DA said. He was released from jail, is due back in court on April 2 and faces up to 1 1⁄3 to 4 years in prison if convicted on the top count, the DA said. Wilson is being represented by Ian Fitzgerald. Rahmadon Cruz, 28, of the Bronx, faces a top count of fourth-degree conspiracy, a Class E felony and faces up to 2 to 4 years in prison if convicted on the top count, the DA said. Cruz is still at large, the DA said.

Andrew Lawrence, 23, of Hempstead, faces a top count of fourth-degree conspiracy, a Class E felony, the DA said. Lawrence was released from jail, is due back in court on April 2 and faces 1 1⁄3 to 4 years in prison if convicted on the top count, the DA said. He is being represented by Oscar Crisafio.

Joshua Lee Garrett, 20, Bethpage, faces a top count of fourth-degree conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a Class E felony, the DA said. He was released from jail, is due back in court on April 2 and faces up to 1 1⁄3 to 4 years in prison if convicted on the top count, the DA said. He is being represented by Melissa Aguanno.

Brianna Patterson, 32, of Hempstead, faces a top count of fourth-degree conspiracy, a Class E felony, the DA said. She was released from jail, is due back in court on April 2 and faces up to 1 1⁄3 to 4 years in prison if convicted on the top count, the DA said. She being represented by Daniel Fox.