Convicted Car Thief Formerly Of Bridgeport Sentenced In Federal Case

BRIDGEPORT, CT — A 23-year-old former Bridgeport resident was sentenced Monday to approximately 11 months in prison, time already served, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a stolen vehicle, announced United States Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery.

In addition to the stolen vehicle, Edwin Cordero was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior conviction, also related to the theft of stolen vehicles.

According to court documents and statements, in April 2022, Cordero was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 30 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for his role in an auto theft ring. The investigation revealed that Cordero and others stole numerous motor vehicles, and used those stolen vehicles to travel throughout the state and to neighboring states to steal other vehicles and the valuables inside. Stolen items included credit cards, cellular telephones, and firearms.

Cordero was released from federal prison in connection with that conviction in March 2023.

About five months later, a 2016 lnfiniti Q50 and a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado were reported stolen from a residence in Westerly, Rhode Island. The Silverado was located shortly thereafter near Exit 89 on I-95 South in Groton. The vehicle was unoccupied and appeared to have run out of gas. Also in August 2023, a victim of the auto thefts contacted law enforcement to report that an iPhone that was in the Infinity Q50 when it was stolen was still being backed up to the iCloud account associated with the phone.

A review of the iCloud account revealed photos and videos taken after the theft of the Q50, according to prosecutors. The photos included an image of Cordero with a pistol on his lap, an image of an individual posing on the hood of another stolen car parked near Cordero’s Bridgeport residence, and images of vape pens, cigarettes, bottles of alcohol, and marijuana.

Cordero was arrested by Bridgeport Police soon after the discovery, after he and others attempted to flee from the Q50 after crashing it into multiple cars on Success Avenue in Bridgeport. A search of a fanny pack Cordero possessed revealed various controlled substances. Investigators also found three bags that Cordero had attempted to hide after the crash; inside the bags were numerous vape pens and an unopened bottle of liquor.

Cordero, who was released for a short time after his state arrest, has been detained since his federal arrest in late August 2023.

In May 2024, Cordero pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

Judge Bolden ordered Cordero to pay $21,336.59 in restitution. Cordero also has a restitution order of $75,198 from his prior federal case.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Westerly (R.I.) Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.