Two NJ Men Plead Guilty to Auto Theft Ring

Two New Jersey men are in a lot of trouble with the law today because of their roles in an auto theft insurance fraud ring.

Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Ronald Chillemi announced that the two men, Reginald E. Lee, Jr., 38, and A’Jon D. Rogers, 26, have pleaded guilty to their roles.

According to Chillemi and a Department of Law & Public Safety press release, Lee pleaded guilty in front of Superior Court Judge Paul M. DePascale in Hudson County on October 3^rd to second-degree receiving stolen property. He was charged in a June 3, 2011 state grand jury indictment.

Judge DePascale scheduled Lee’s sentencing for November 10^th where, under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that he be sentenced to five years in state prison.

Due to the guilty plea, Lee was admitting that between August 15, 2006 and October 16, 2006, he had possession of stolen vehicles that he knew were stolen or believed to be stolen. They were valued at about $243,645. The vehicles include a 2001 Honda Accord, a 2006 Kawasaki ZX636 motorcycle, a 2003 Dodge Ram 50, a 1998 Land Rover Discovery, a 2003 Ford Econoline Conversion Van, a 1998 Toyota 4Runner, a 2004 Ford Econoline Conversion Van, a 1999 Mercedes Benz E430, a 2002 Subaru WRX, a 2005 Infinity FX35, a 2006 Dodge Charger, a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica, a 2004 BMW M5, a 2004 Ford Explorer, and a 2006 Audi A3.

Rogers pleaded guilty to third-degree receiving stolen property. The charge was contained in a separate state grand jury indictment from June 3, 2011. In pleading guilty, he admitted that on November 1, 2006, he was in possession of an Infinity FX 35, knowing that it had also been stolen.

The Judge also scheduled Rogers’ sentencing for November 10^th where, under that plea agreement, the state will recommend that Rogers be sentenced to three years of probation.

The charges against both defendants were the result of an undercover investigation by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor into a stolen vehicle ring and involved detectives from the office purchasing stolen vehicles.