Diaunte D. Shields, Interstate Car Theft, Wisconsin 2024

Defendant Charged in Interstate Car Theft Ring

A second superseding indictment has been unsealed, charging Diaunte D. Shields, 30, of Wisconsin, and 22 other defendants in an interstate car theft ring.

The alleged theft ring stole and directed others to steal motor vehicles, transported and arranged for the transportation of stolen vehicles across the nation, created front companies, altered vehicle identification numbers, made fake motor vehicle titles, registered stolen vehicles using those fake motor vehicle titles, and sold those vehicles to others for money and drugs.

Between approximately January 2019 and February 2024, the ring allegedly stole over 175 vehicles, many of which were new and "high end." Some of the vehicles were stolen from airports, including Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport, car dealerships, and car manufacturer’s assembly plants.

Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced the charges and commended the law enforcement professionals involved in the investigation.

The 23 defendants are charged with various crimes, including conspiring to violate federal laws, interstate transportation of stolen vehicles, and use of interstate commerce to transmit and transfer fictitious obligations. If convicted, each defendant could face significant prison time and fines.

Specifically, Diaunte Shields and Lashawn Davis, Jr. are also charged with drug trafficking crimes, which could result in mandatory minimum terms of 10 years and up to life in prison. Nakiya Wright is also charged with aggravated identity theft and could face a mandatory term of 2 years in prison.

The investigation was led by the FBI and involved collaboration with local and state law enforcement agencies. The case is ongoing, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The charges against the defendants are as follows:

• Diaunte D. Shields, 30, Wisconsin – Interstate car theft, Wisconsin 2024
• Geoffrey Harvey, 35, Georgia – Interstate car theft, Georgia 2024
• Willie Bullard, 41, Georgia – Interstate car theft, Georgia 2024
• Lashawn Davis, Jr., 25, Wisconsin – Interstate car theft, Wisconsin 2024
• Brandon Mullins, 40, Georgia – Interstate car theft, Georgia 2024
• Nakiya Wright, 31, Wisconsin – Interstate car theft, Wisconsin 2024
• Casha Griffin, 31, Illinois – Interstate car theft, Illinois 2024
• Brianna Shields, 34, Wisconsin – Interstate car theft, Wisconsin 2024
• Gerrica Baker, 27, Wisconsin – Interstate car theft, Wisconsin 2024
• Deon Brooks, 24, Michigan – Interstate car theft, Michigan 2024
• Tashawn Brown-Smith, 28, Wisconsin – Interstate car theft, Wisconsin 2024
• Dequas Crawford-Higgs, 30, Illinois – Interstate car theft, Illinois 2024
• Ja Lean Little, 23, Illinois – Interstate car theft, Illinois 2024
• Vashawn Milton, 33, Georgia – Interstate car theft, Georgia 2024
• Deamonte Lee, 27, Illinois – Interstate car theft, Illinois 2024
• Glenn Larsen, 53, Illinois – Interstate car theft, Illinois 2024
• Kenneth Kilson, 42, Delaware – Interstate car theft, Delaware 2024
• Chaz Holifield, 34, Wisconsin – Interstate car theft, Wisconsin 2024
• Meliek McClarn, 32, Wisconsin – Interstate car theft, Wisconsin 2024
• Tashay Northern, 27, North Dakota – Interstate car theft, North Dakota 2024
• Esteban Cardenas, 37, Wisconsin – Interstate car theft, Wisconsin 2024

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