5 Men Charged In $600K Middlesex County Car Theft Ring

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ — Five men were indicted Friday on charges that they conspired to steal, receive or fence at least a dozen mostly high-end vehicles, worth approximately $600,000 in total.

The cars were stolen from various towns in Middlesex County and elsewhere, said Acting NJ Attorney General Matthew Platkin.

Just last week he announced that car theft is soaring across New Jersey at the moment.

Quamir Hodges, 24, of Montclair, Dion Wiggins, 21, of Newark, Zaquan T. Wright, 19, of Newark, Adrian Goolcharran, 37, of Jersey City and Burdley Jean, 41, of Union City were all indicted Friday.

The men were charged in connection with 12 stolen vehicles, including Land Rovers, BMWs, Jeeps, and an Audi Q8, among other makes. Hodges and Wiggins are charged with stealing a 2020 Land Rover Range Rover Sport worth approximately $90,000 from a restaurant in Margate, where it was left with the key fob inside.

Police say Hodges, Wiggins and Wright allegedly conspired from September through December 2021 to receive multiple stolen vehicles, with their alleged criminal activities spanning at least seven counties — Essex, Bergen, Hudson, Union, Middlesex, Monmouth and Atlantic.

When detectives executed a search warrant in December at a purported auto body business in Newark owned by Hodges, they allegedly found a stolen Dodge Charger, a defaced semi-automatic handgun, an illegal large-capacity magazine loaded with 14 rounds, and a small amount of fentanyl. Hodges faces drug and weapons charges, including possession of a weapon as a convicted felon.

Further investigation of Jean revealed that he allegedly possessed three stolen vehicles with altered vehicle identification numbers. In addition, when the State Police executed a search warrant at his residence in January, they found materials and equipment allegedly used to operate a fraudulent document mill, including fictitious government documents, forged checks, and printing, embossing, and laminating machines. Jean faces second-degree charges of false government documents and trafficking in personal identifying information, and third-degree charges of forgery and identity theft.

Hodges, Wiggins, and Jean were previously arrested and were ordered detained pending trial. Hodges and Wiggins are being held in the Monmouth County Jail, and Jean is being held in the Hudson County Jail. Wright and Goolcharran are being sought on arrest warrants.

Related: Woodbridge Car Dealership Robbed Of 12 Cars, 139 Key Fobs In January

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