Bike theft - Karma is a *****!- recovery

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DA: 'Rim Reapers' caught

Gang of 5 alleged tire thieves includes 2 from MC

By Joe Darrow
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February 25, 2010 | 04:42 AM
The Suffolk district attorney announced the arrests of five men Feb. 18 for their alleged theft and resale of over $250,000 worth of car tires and rims from local dealerships and residents.

The accused, self-dubbed the Rim Reapers, were a group of friends from their youth in the Bellport area, District Attorney Tom Spota said at a press conference at his Hauppauge office. They include leader Darren Scales, 24, of Mastic; Lahsheem Stewart, 19, of Selden; Kelvin Mitchell, 24, of Centereach; Hasheem McLaurin, 28, of Amityville; and Steven Clarke, 25, of Holbrook, who allegedly stashed the stolen car parts and resold them on eBay and Craig's List.

The group was responsible for nearly 300 luxury tire and rim thefts over a period of several months from neighborhoods in Commack, Bellport and Ronkonkoma and auto dealers in Smithtown, Port Jefferson Station, Middle Island, Riverhead, Babylon and Bay Shore, according to the district attorney. They preferred high-end models like Cadillac Escalades, Acuras and Nissan Maximas and even filled special orders for their online customers under the business moniker Top Level Auto, prosecutors said.

"A set of high-end rims and tires, sold at retail for up to $4,000 for a set of four, would be resold by members of this crew on the street for anywhere from $500 to $1,000," Spota said. The men could de-tire a vehicle in five minutes, he added; they allegedly would steal a van like a Plymouth Voyager or Dodge Caravan at the beginning of the night and rip out the back seats to house their stolen goods. The alleged thieves would leave the targeted vehicles propped up on cinder blocks, lying on their frames, causing additional damage, or in one case, abandoned in an overgrown ditch.

"When you leave your house in the morning to go to work and you walk outside and there are no wheels on your car, you know it's going to be a bad day," Police Commissioner Richard Dormer said.

Spota declined to disclose who or what led authorities to connect the thefts to the defendants. Online purchasers of the stolen parts are located nationwide; those that can be identified will have to return the tires and rims, prosecutors said, although they are unlikely to face criminal charges. During the investigation, police executed 11 search warrants and recovered 65 rims.

Overall, Spota estimated the value of the stolen goods known thus far to be "well in excess of a quarter of a million dollars."

The five men pleaded not guilty to charges including grand larceny, criminal mischief, possession of stolen property, possession of burglars' tools and conspiracy at their Feb. 18 arraignments at county criminal court in Riverhead. Additionally, Scales pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree assault for allegedly driving a vehicle into a police officer attempting to arrest him, Spota said; the cop "sustained some pretty serious injuries." If convicted, the men face sentences of between a minimum of three to six and a maximum of seven and a half to 15 years behind bars, prosecutors said.

Clarke's attorney, Ray Perini of Hauppauge, said his client is entitled to the evidence from wire taps and recordings prosecutors claim to have against him, but thus far the defense attorney has not received it. "We entered our plea of not guilty and we stand by that," Perini said.

Attorneys representing the other accused had not returned calls by press time.





]Any way Just got notified they found some pieces of my bike and This guy( Darren Scales, 24, of Mastic) had them , so they want to know if I want to be part of a lawsuit for my loss( 2008 Hayabusa,17,000 miles) Anyway I had full coverage insurance , I received 90% back , come to learn he will do 13 years for his crimes :rofl:beerchug::lol:

so for the next 13 years he will be :banghead::banghead::banghead: in a cell , I will be following the:rulez:and enjoying my freedom :bowdown: It would really suck to be Darren Scales, 24, of Mastic :moon::poke::rofl: Hope you enjoyed the Hayabusa and it brought you as much joy as it did me !
Closure is Great , KARMA IS A ***** !!!!Q:moon]
 
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:laugh: love it when a plan comes together ...man i hates me a crook!
 
I wish we did what some Muslim countries do...take a hand and they will be identified forever as what they are....
 
What color 2011 you gettin johnstein?

I like the black myself.
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I sold my 05 , nothing left but pieces that wouldn't sell on this guys eBay store , I don't know how they traced the bike parts?

No new bike for now , I was spending way too much time in the right quarter of the speedo , needed a break, had to get rid of her like a bad dog , before I got bit . someday I will pick up a project bike, or another new busa.:beerchug:
 
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