Two brothers who arranged to "re-tag" stolen luxury cars and ship them overseas were sentenced to long prison terms Wednesday.
CAMDEN--The high-end cars--a Porsche Panamera stolen from Colts Neck, and two Mercedes-Benz S550s stolen weeks earlier in New York--had been packed tightly into a shipping container at a parking lot in Englewood.
The Porsche was sent in first, suspended inside the container so that the other two cars could fit underneath. Two of the vehicles carried altered identification numbers and fake Georgia titles. The third was listed on shipping documents as "personal effects." A few days later, the container was hoisted aboard a ship, bound for Hong Kong.
On Tuesday, two New Jersey brothers convicted of setting up the shipment were sentenced to long prison terms for their roles in a widespread scheme to send stolen luxury cars to customers overseas.
Andrew Clarke, 43 of Irvington, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court to 25 years in prison. His brother Llewellyn, 42 of North Plainfield, received a 16-year sentence.
Both were convicted last year on four counts charging each with one count of conspiracy to transport stolen motor vehicles and transportation of stolen motor vehicles.
Why are more stolen cars disappearing overseas?
According to federal prosecutors, the brothers purchased high-end stolen cars from thieves operating in northern New Jersey and New York, recruiting others to "re-tag" the cars with fake vehicle identification numbers in an effort to mask the fact that they were hot. Forged title documents from Georgia and Arizona were also created to allow the vehicles to be shipped.
Authorities said when Llewellyn Clark's apartment was searched, they found additional fraudulent titles purportedly issued by the state of Georgia, one of which was blank and ready to be filled out.
Stolen cars valued at nearly $1 million were shipped from New Jersey to Hong Kong, while other vehicles were sent to Georgia, Maryland and elsewhere, where they were then re-sold, some to unsuspecting buyers, said U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman.
The ring was ultimately cracked by a federal task force led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, officials said.
Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.