Twenty Defendants Sentenced in Million-Dollar Stolen Car Conspiracy Ring

Twenty Defendants Sentenced in Million-Dollar Stolen Car Conspiracy Ring

Twenty Defendants Sentenced in Million-Dollar Stolen Car Conspiracy Ring

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Georgia
June 30, 2009

SAVANNAH, GA—Edmund A. Booth, Jr., United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced today that 20 defendants were sentenced over the last month on their convictions arising from their involvement in a stolen car conspiracy ring centered in Statesboro and Savannah, Georgia.

Booth stated that these defendants were indicted on December 13, 2007 by the federal grand jury for the Southern District of Georgia in a 56-count indictment. The indictment charged conspiracy to commit certain offenses against the United States, including trafficking in stolen motor vehicles, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2313; alteration of motor vehicle identification numbers (VINs), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 511; trafficking in motor vehicles with altered VINs, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2321; possession of counterfeit state motor vehicle titles with the intent to defraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 513; and false statements to investigating federal law enforcement officers, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.

Booth said that during the course of the charged criminal conduct, members of the conspiracy stole dozens of vehicles (worth over $1 million total), altered the vehicle identification number, or VIN, on those stolen vehicles, and sold the stolen vehicles, along with counterfeit motor vehicle titles, at a steep discount to their co-conspirators. The stolen vehicles were registered by the purchasers at local tag offices using the counterfeit title and altered VIN. Some purchasers then later faked the theft of their vehicles with the help of the conspiracy in order to claim an inflated insurance loss.

From April to June 2008, many of the defendants pled guilty to the offenses charged in the indictment. One defendant, WESLEY BERNARD AIKENS, was convicted by a federal court jury at trial in June 2008.

According to Booth, the defendants were sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge William T. Moore, Jr. in U.S. District Court in three separate sessions held in May and June 2009 as set forth below:

RONNIE LEE, JR., age 27, of Savannah, Georgia, convicted of possession of a counterfeit state security: 77 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $175,978.74 restitution; and $100 special assessment.
JAMES WESLEY EDENFIELD, age 38, of Statesboro, Georgia; convicted of false statements to investigating federal law enforcement officers: six months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $1,000 fine; and $100 special assessment.
ADISHA JABARI BRYANT, age 31, of Savannah, Georgia, convicted of conspiracy: 46 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $82,546.28 restitution; and $100 special assessment.
WESLEY BERNARD AIKENS, age 33, of Union City, Georgia, convicted of conspiracy: 51 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $16,364.50 restitution; and $100 special assessment.
RANDALL LEE CHAMBERS, age 48, of Statesboro, Georgia, convicted of conspiracy: 18 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $32,808.55 restitution; and $100 special assessment.
JOHN ALLEN WILLIAMS, age 38, of Duluth, Georgia, convicted of conspiracy: 18 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $32,808.55 restitution; and $100 special assessment.
JOHN FITZGERALD JONES, age 45, of Statesboro, Georgia, convicted of possession of counterfeit state security: 27 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $37,154.62 restitution; and $100 special assessment.
ARCHIE DOUGLAS FINCH, age 60, of Portal, Georgia, convicted of conspiracy: five months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; and $100 special assessment.
ALAN MICHAEL TILLMAN, age 31, of Bluffton, South Carolina, convicted of conspiracy: 18 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $31,851.12 restitution; and $100 special assessment.
WOODARD HOOK LEWIS, JR., age 50, of Statesboro, Georgia, convicted of conspiracy: 21 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $54,441.70 restitution; and $100 special assessment.
TROY JASON EDENFIELD, age 41, of Statesboro, Georgia, convicted of trafficking in vehicles with altered VINs: 60 months’ imprisonment; $300,684.29 restitution; three years’ supervised release; and $100 special assessment.
LEON SPENCER PATTERSON, age 41, of Snellville, Georgia, convicted of possession of counterfeit state security: 80 months’ imprisonment; $425,770.99 restitution; three years’ supervised release; and $100 special assessment.
JIMMY LEE EVERETT, age 41, of Brooklet, Georgia, convicted of trafficking in vehicles with altered VIN: 108 months’ imprisonment; $332,450.34 restitution; three years’ supervised release; and $100 special assessment. Everett was also sentenced on the same date for bank fraud in connection with the embezzlement of over $200,000 from a local pavement marking business (see separate press release).
JUSTIN WAYNE PRINCE, age 25, of Statesboro, Georgia, convicted of possession of counterfeit state security: five years’ probation; $47,520.78 restitution; and $100 special assessment.
DAISY VICTORIA SCOTT, age 32, of Sylvania, Georgia, convicted of conspiracy: 10 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $20,222.00 restitution; and $100 special assessment.
TARYN MARIE YORK, age 24, of Nokesville, Virginia, convicted of misprision of a felony: three years’ probation; $1,000 fine; and $100 special assessment.
BRIAN DANIEL HUNT, age 25, of Nokesville, Virginia, convicted of conspiracy: 18 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $81,083.55 restitution; and $100 special assessment.
WILLIE BATTISE, JR., age 46, of Pooler, Georgia, convicted of possession of counterfeit state security: three years’ probation; $7,000 restitution, and $100 special assessment.
JEFFREY LEE GAINES, age 45, of Pampas, Texas, convicted of conspiracy: five years’ probation, $11,629.12 restitution, and $100 special assessment.
CHARLIE SIMMONS, age 50, of Pooler, Georgia, convicted of possession of counterfeit state security: three years’ probation; $15,655.54 restitution; and $100 special assessment.

The investigation was led by Special Agent Marcus Kirkland of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Special Agent Peter McFarlane of the Georgia Department of Revenue, Auto Theft Unit. The Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Statesboro Police Department, and the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office all provided substantial assistance in this matter. The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney R. Brian Tanner.