Atlanta Man Sentenced for Role in Car Theft Ring

NEW ORLEANS – Keinan Chapman, a 39-year-old man from Atlanta, was sentenced on March 23, 2023, for conspiring to transport and sell stolen vehicles in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to court documents, Chapman and his co-conspirators stole cars from car dealerships and rental car facilities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. After the cars were stolen, Chapman and his co-conspirators retitled the cars under fraudulent Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINS) with the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. After the cars were retitled and cloned with fraudulent VINS, the defendants resold the cars to buyers in the New Orleans metro area at discounted prices.

Chief U.S. District Court Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown sentenced Chapman to serve 57 months in prison, to be followed by three (3) years of supervised release and imposed a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. The judge also set a restitution hearing in this matter for June 15, 2023.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security, the Louisiana State Police, the D’Iberville Police Department, and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Spiro G. Latsis and Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit are in charge of the prosecution.

Chapman’s sentence marks the culmination of a long investigation into the car theft ring, which involved the theft and resale of dozens of vehicles in the New Orleans area. The ring’s activities were said to have caused significant financial losses to car dealerships and rental car facilities across the region.

As the investigation continues, authorities are working to track down and prosecute other members of the car theft ring, who are believed to have been involved in the theft and resale of numerous vehicles. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance in protecting against car theft and other forms of property crime.

With Chapman’s sentence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has sent a strong message that car theft and other forms of property crime will not be tolerated in the New Orleans area. The office will continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute such cases to the fullest extent of the law.

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