When police started looking into the theft of a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye from Hendersonville, Tennessee, in late September, they had no idea it would lead them across state lines, let alone bust a co-ordinated criminal enterprise. The stolen muscle car took investigators on a wild chase through three states, exposing an operation bigger than anyone expected.Â
The muscle car’s trail helped police bust a chop shop and an illegal marijuana farming operation. Chop shops operate by stealing high-end cars, usually from across state lines, then either VIN-swapping them or chopping them for parts. That one stolen Hellcat ultimately helped solve eight vehicle theft cases spanning five states.
Dodge
The Stolen Car Trail Across State Lines
The hunt for the stolen 797-horsepower Challenger Hellcat Redeye began with Hendersonville Police tracking a suspect’s license plate to Hopkinsville, Kentucky. This was their first major break, because they didn’t just find more leads, but three more stolen vehicles from Nashville. What followed was the arrest of two suspects linked to the vehicle thefts. Through all this, the Hellcat was still missing.
The investigation then gathered even more momentum. Days later, a 475-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT was stolen from Hendersonville. This time, police tracked the high-powered SUV to an apartment complex in, you guessed it, Nashville. Nashville Police moved fast and arrested one of the original suspects for the second time, along with two others. With a clear pattern emerging and proof of a coordinated vehicle theft ring across state lines, the plot had thickened. Unfortunately, investigators still hadn’t found the elusive Hellcat that had tipped the first domino.
One Muscle Car Brought Down an Entire Criminal Operation
Finally, in what would prove to be the game-changing tip, the Hellcat Redeye was traced to Paint Rock, Alabama. The police were able to recover the muscle car and apprehend the man responsible for making these stolen vehicles disappear. But it wasn’t just slapping the cuffs on one criminal, they were one step away from uncovering the whole high-horsepower theft operation.Â
The police executed a search of the property that revealed the full scope of the operation. It wasn’t just hiding stolen cars, it was a full-scale chop shop that had been VIN-swapping stolen cars. The cherry on top was the illegal marijuana farm on-site. Police recovered stolen vehicles from Georgia, Florida, and Memphis, alongside huge stores of stripped vehicle parts. Authorities eventually arrested the suspected mastermind behind the ring, hopefully ending one chapter of vehicle thefts in the area.
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