LoJack System Helps the Orange County Auto Theft Taskforce (OCATT) Recover Three Stolen Volkswagens in Regards to a Fraud Case, with Two Arrests.
- April 18, 2019
- Law Enforcement
Volkswagen
Finance contacted the Orange County Auto Theft Taskforce after discovering that
one of their dealerships was a victim of an elaborate fraud scheme. The purchaser posed as the owner of a law
firm based out of Louisiana. The
purchaser used fraudulent business documents, tax documents and bank statements
to complete the purchase of seven Volkswagens from one dealership. The purchases occurred on two different
dates. Initially Volkswagen finance sent out a repossession order when they
believed the owner had failed to make payments on the vehicles. Two of the Volkswagens were recovered but
when Volkswagen finance looked further into the transaction, they found signs
of fraud and contacted OCATT. OCATT took
over the investigation and uncovered the fraudulent documents used by the
purchaser and learned the law firm had closed in 2015. After verifying this case was a fraudulent
purchase and not simply a repossession case, OCATT served a search warrant at the
suspect’s residence and recovered two more of the Volkswagens. They also arrested the purchaser and his
wife. OCATT worked with LoJack after
learning the VW’s were LoJack equipped.
The three remaining outstanding Volkswagens, two Arteons and a Tiguan,
were entered into the state and federal
crime computers which automatically activated the LoJack®
System concealed in the Volkswagens.
A short while later investigators from the San Bernardino Auto Theft Taskforce
(SANCATT) picked up the silent LoJack signal from the stolen Volkswagen Tiguan
with the LoJack Police Tracking Computers (PTC) that are installed in patrol
vehicles and aircraft. Following the directional
and audible cues from the PTC, the SANCATT investigators tracked the vehicle
to a residence in San Bernardino.
SANCATT contacted OCATT about locating the stolen Tiguan. OCATT worked with LoJack and learned the two
Arteons were being tracked in Henderson Nevada and Las Vegas Nevada. Both vehicles were tracked and recovered by
Henderson and Las Vegas Police Departments.
OCATT is continuing their investigation as to the circumstances of how
the Arteons ended up in Nevada. The
value of the three LoJack tracked vehicles is approximately $135,000.
The LoJack® System was installed in the Tiguan and Arteons in October and November
2018 at an Orange County Dealership.