Federal grand jury indicts four men in $2.7 million mail, car-theft schemes in the Cleveland area

CLEVELAND, Ohio – A federal grand jury handed up an indictment that accused 4 adult men of functioning two techniques that built $2.7 million, prosecutors claimed Friday.

The 9-rely indictment charged Jaylen Harris, 19, of Beachwood Lavelle Jones, 18, of Warrensville Heights Devin Rice, 20, of Cleveland and Hakim Benjamin, 20, of Cleveland Heights.

They are accused of organizing and participating in two conspiracies: The very first associated the theft and income of large-end autos, though the other concentrated on robbing carriers for the U.S. Postal Assistance and stealing mail.

The 4 have been billed with conspiracy to commit the sale or receipt of stolen automobiles. Rice, Jones and Harris are charged involving the stolen mail.

Harris was also billed with illegal possession of a handgun modified to fire like an computerized weapon. The gun was located in a hotel in February when legislation enforcement officers executed a search warrant for the gentlemen. Authorities also found out thousands of fake checks, technology to make the fake checks, and keys to stolen large-close cars, courtroom information display.

Federal prosecutors in Cleveland claimed the men are accused of thieving and paying for Dodge Durangos, Dodge Rams, Dodge Hellcats and other vehicles from auto dealerships in Michigan. They are accused of transporting the motor vehicles to Northeast Ohio to resell.

The gentlemen utilised a machine that authorized them to duplicate details saved on vital fobs, then make copies so they could steal the vehicles.

Rice, Jones and Harris also had been charged with organizing and partaking in a conspiracy to rob Postal Provider carriers, steal keys to postal collections containers and grab mail, prosecutors claimed.

In January, residents in Cleveland noted missing mail, stolen checks, and other useful items from the blue collection boxes. An arrow crucial, which is a universal vital for mail carriers, was also taken from a postal worker in Euclid.

On Jan. 31, a minimal more than a 7 days immediately after the postal worker was robbed in Euclid, Rice was arrested by authorities right after another robbery of postal employee in Shaker Heights. He was in possession of numerous pieces of stolen mail in the course of the arrest, authorities stated. Rice instructed police that he purchased the critical from a postal worker for $1,000, in accordance to courtroom paperwork.

Prosecutors claimed the team also utilized a specialised personal computer to make phony checks. They stole resident’s lender account facts to entry accounts to steal funds, or open new types in their names.