Union County Man, Ring Leader Of Multi-State Stolen Car Conspiracy Sentenced

LINDEN, NJ — A Union County man was sentenced to 57 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to receive, retitle, and "re-VIN" stolen vehicles, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

Nathaniel Bell, 27, of Linden, previously pleaded guilty in February 2024 to a seven-count information charging him with one count of conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles, five counts of altering or removing motor vehicle identification numbers (VINs) and one count of transportation of stolen vehicles.

Bell was reportedly the leader of a criminal conspiracy that obtained stolen vehicles from New Jersey, New York, Florida, and other states, obtained fraudulent titles for the stolen vehicles, and altered vehicle identification numbers to conceal the fact that the vehicles were stolen, according to documents filed in this case and statements made in court.

Bell and his co-conspirators then sold the stolen cars to dealerships or individual purchasers so they could make a profit, said authorities.

In at least two instances, the co-conspirators sold a stolen car to an individual purchaser and then stole it back so they could sell it again, said authorities.

Bell also knowingly altered or removed the VIN numbers on five vehicles and knowingly transported a stolen vehicle between New York and New Jersey.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Chesler sentenced Bell to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution.

Bell’s co-conspirators, Johnathan Tanksley, 31, of Orange; L’Hubermane Felix, 25, of Miami, Florida; and Dayanna Sarango-Hidalgo, 29, of Newark, have all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles.

Felix was previously sentenced to 24 months in prison. Tanksley and Sarango-Hidalgo await sentencing.

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