They didn’t just allegedly steal cars and recycle them for cash. They took it a step further by stealing VIN numbers from similar vehicles at scrap yards, according to police.
The result: Recyclers didn’t know the vehicles were stolen. And two Atlanta area men are accused of pocketing the cash — between $500 and $600 per vehicle.
“A vehicle can only reach it’s end-of-life cycle once, but somehow these 23 vehicles were showing up as being recycled twice,” Major Darryl Tolleson with Atlanta police said Wednesday.
Investigators believe the duo of Jonathan Cornelius Arnold, 37, and Donell Latwis Davis, 22, both of Decatur addresses, likely thought they could outsmart recyclers and police in Fulton and Rockdale counties. They specifically targeted vehicles more than 12 years old because those models are generally easier to steal, and by law, no title is needed to sell the vehicles, according to police.
After stealing vehicles, Arnold and Davis would allegedly go to scrap yards and find vehicles of the same make and model, Tolleson said. Then, they’d steal the VIN numbers from the scraped vehicle, place it on the stolen vehicle and head to a recycler, according to police.
The recyclers would run a search on the VIN numbers before paying cash for the metal, according to police. The duo allegedly stole an additional six cars in Rockdale County, where one of the recycling centers is located.
“It wasn’t stolen, so they’re thinking it was legitimate,” Tolleson said.
Police believe the scam is a new trend throughout the country. Some recyclers cooperate directly with police, who have a database of VIN numbers to help determine those that have been altered.
Atlanta police and Rockdale County sheriff’s deputies began an investigation in March that identified Arnold and Davis as the suspects. Both now face numerous felony charges for the heist.
Arnold has been arrested and is being held in the Rockdale County jail without bond. Davis remains at large.
“We are looking for him and I believe he knows it,” Tolleson said.
Both Arnold and Davis have criminal histories, records show. Arnold has served three sentences in state prisons following armed robbery, theft and aggravated assault convictions, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections. Arnold was released from Telfair State Prison in December 2011, records show.
Davis was scheduled to be arraigned in April on a felony theft charge in DeKalb County, but he failed to appear in court, records show.
About the Author
