Anthony Brown, Vehicle Theft, Illinois 2021

CHICAGO – A complex, statewide vehicle theft ring has been cracked, with six individuals facing felony charges following a joint investigation led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force and the U.S. Secret Service. The operation targeted high-value luxury vehicles, with suspects allegedly using stolen identities to defraud dealerships and financial institutions across Illinois.

At the center of the scheme are Anthony Brown, 40, of Lansing, Illinois, also known as the rapper Tony Sosa, and Sierra Wells, 27, of Orland Park, Illinois. Both are charged with identity theft, a Class X felony; aggravated possession of a stolen motor vehicle, a Class 1 felony; organizing a continuing financial crimes enterprise, a Class 2 felony; theft by deception, a Class 2 felony; financial institution fraud, a Class 2 felony; and forgery, a Class 3 felony. A conviction could land them anywhere from probation to a 30-year prison sentence.

Assisting Brown and Wells, authorities allege, were Kevin Bandy, 48; DeAngelo Hackney, 30; James Krout, 47; and Zebedee Moore, 48. Each of these men faces counts of identity theft, a Class 1 felony; aggravated possession of a stolen motor vehicle, a Class 1 felony; theft by deception, a Class 2 felony; financial institution fraud, a Class 2 felony; and forgery, a Class 3 felony. If convicted, they each could receive between two and 15 years behind bars. The indictments detail a scheme that began in the fall of 2020, where Wells allegedly provided fraudulent identities to Brown.

“These indictments allege that the defendants orchestrated and executed a complex fraud operation that crossed county and even state lines to steal expensive luxury vehicles and defraud car dealerships and financial institutions in the process,” stated Attorney General Raoul. The investigation drew support from the Barrington Police Department, the West Chicago Police Department, and private sector partners in banking, insurance, and the automotive industry. Raoul’s office was also supported by the DuPage and Cook County State’s Attorney’s offices.

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin highlighted the surge in luxury vehicle thefts plaguing the Chicago area. “The organizers of these schemes are smart, well organized and determined to obtain these vehicles and move them as fast as they can,” he said. “That is why it is crucial that we all work together, both public and private sectors, to not only hold these individuals accountable, but to also prevent the thefts from occurring in the first place.”

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the need for coordinated law enforcement efforts. “These indictments should serve as a warning to those who choose to circumvent the law to make illegal profits,” Foxx stated. The investigation revealed Brown allegedly used money and drugs to recruit Bandy, Hackney, and Krout to help facilitate the operation. Details regarding how the stolen vehicles were moved and disposed of remain under wraps as the case progresses.

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