The recent dismantling of an alleged motorcycle theft ring, which
was quite busy dismantling high-end motorcycles
across New York City, shows the significance of having a consumers’
rights attorney on your side. According to the New York State Attorney
General’s Office, a 36-year-old Bronx
County man alongside 11 others were indicted for the alleged theft of $100,000
worth of stolen motor vehicles. The 36-year-old, who was the alleged ringleader
of the so-called “Steal Crew,” has already taken a guilty plea and was
sentenced to seven years in state prison plus five years of supervision
following his release.
While that sentence and 11 other indictments are likely to come as
a comfort to some, there are probably plenty of financial struggles unfolding
for those whose motorcycles were scooped up off the streets. According to
New York-based attorney Jeffrey Benjamin, this case is criminal at its
core but the fact that the thieves were selling the stolen bikes for parts
represents fraud because other motorcycle enthusiasts were unknowingly buying
someone else’s stolen property. Since those parts were likely to enter a
fraudulent market and be sold one by one for pure profit by the perpetrators,
Mr. Benjamin knows this adds another layer to the crime. That’s because the
origin of valuable motorcycle parts would have certainly been concealed to
potential buyers. To New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman,
cracking this ring was an opportunity to protect fellow New Yorkers.
“We have zero tolerance for crime – whether it’s stealing
motorcycles or selling drugs – and won’t hesitate to act to protect New
Yorkers. We’ll continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to bring
these criminals to justice,” Schneiderman said in an Oct. 18, 2017 press
release.
According to the state attorney general’s office, investigators
set up security cameras inside of a storage unit to allegedly capture what the
thieves were up to. Authorities add that the crew -- which also allegedly
dealing large amounts of heroin -- would canvass the city for high-end
motorcycles such as Ducatis, break the steering column off and load them into a
van. The crew then would allegedly “dismantle the motorcycles into parts and
package them for shipment.”
To attorney
Jeffrey Benjamin, this case takes a turn toward fraud when the
motorcycles are chopped up in that manner. Since Mr. Benjamin has successfully
represented clients in jury trials mainly under the New York Deceptive
Practices Act and New Jersey Consumer Fraud Truth in Consumer Contract and
Warranty acts, consumers looking for a skilled attorney to defend their rights
as customers should look no further for legal assistance.
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