Police Bust High-Tech Chop Shop

The Atlanta Police Department has broken up an Atlanta chop shop and car theft ring that targeted luxury vehicles for their parts, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The ringleader of the scheme, 32-year-old Ronald Thomas, would steal SUVs like Cadillac Escalades and GMC Yukons by using a device about the size of a cell phone that was attached to the on-board diagnostic ports of the vehicles. Thomas would use the device to start the engine without needing the keys.

Thomas would then drive the stolen vehicles to any number of properties in the city and quickly strip them of parts. Transmissions and engines would be sold out of state, but tire rims were kept inside city limits. Police estimate Thomas stole up to 150 SUVs in recent years and netted up to $500,000 in profits.

Police also suspect Thomas would brazenly call them as an anonymous tipper complaining about abandoned vehicles, which police would then take away. Thomas may have been using the police to clear his chop shop once he was done stripping his latest batch of SUVs.

Thomas was arrested on Monday and is facing 16 counts of theft by receiving stolen property, two counts of operating a chop shop, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Police say they expect more theft charges to be made against Thomas as investigators collect more information on his criminal activities.