"From the raid, prosecutors charged 55-year-old Doran Lee Williams with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing stolen vehicles, and having 100 blank stolen money orders, all part of a six-count felony complaint, court records show. In court filings, Oakland police said that it appeared to them Williams was using his unregistered auto repair business as a front for a stolen vehicle chop shop."
"Like many suspected chop shops, this allegedly illegal business was hiding in plain sight, and police say it continued to operate even after complaints from residents and city staffers, and warnings from authorities. This police raid was just one of numerous recent investigations targeting the sprawling and sophisticated illegal industries propping up a stolen car economy that was worth an estimated $1.56 billion last year, according to the California Highway Patrol."
Police raided an Oakland auto repair location, seizing guns, blank money orders, and allegedly stolen motorcycles. Prosecutors charged 55-year-old Doran Lee Williams with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing stolen vehicles, and possessing 100 blank stolen money orders. Court filings allege the unregistered repair business operated as a stolen vehicle chop shop that continued despite resident complaints and regulatory warnings. Williams was released from jail four days after the raid and remains free while the case is pending. The California Highway Patrol estimated the stolen-car economy at $1.56 billion, noting 84.59% recovery of reported stolen cars and about 6% stripped for parts. Many stolen vehicles are resold online after VIN switching, and a Contra Costa task force is investigating a smog and third-party registration business tied to fraudulent re-registrations across multiple Bay Area cities.
Read at The Mercury News
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