OMAHA, NE – Richard Lang, 43, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, admitted in federal court today to orchestrating a brazen, multistate scheme to rip off auto parts dealers. The con man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a charge that carries a potential five-year federal prison sentence.
According to court documents, Lang, along with co-conspirator Daniel Hendrickson, systematically targeted auto parts stores across Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota between February 11, 2018, and May 17, 2018. The pair brazenly walked into businesses like NAPA Auto Parts, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Bauer Built Tire & Service, Allied Oil & Tire, and GCR Tire & Service, and simply took what they wanted – tires, parts, and other merchandise – without paying a dime.
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The scheme was built on deception. Lang and Hendrickson falsely claimed affiliation with legitimate businesses, tricking store employees into billing these entities for the stolen goods. The pair operated with chilling efficiency, hitting stores at least 70 times across the three states, with Omaha bearing the brunt of their activity – over 30 separate incidents within the city limits. The total haul? At least $67,000 in stolen property.
While the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska announced the guilty plea, the investigation was a multi-agency effort. Detectives from the Omaha Police Department, Bellevue Police Department, Fremont Police Department, Council Bluffs Police Department, Des Moines Police Department, Blue Earth Police Department, and agents with the U.S. Secret Service all contributed to unraveling the scheme and bringing Lang to justice. The Secret Service’s involvement highlights the increasing scope of their investigations beyond currency counterfeiting, now tackling complex financial crimes.
Hendrickson, Lang’s accomplice, previously pleaded guilty to the same charge on July 28, 2020, in Omaha. Senior United States District Judge Laurie Smith Camp will now determine Lang’s fate after a presentence report is completed. Both men are likely looking at significant time behind bars for their calculated and costly deception.
This wasn’t a smash-and-grab; it was a carefully planned, multi-state operation designed to exploit the trust of hardworking business owners. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing of both Lang and Hendrickson as details become available. The question remains: how did this scheme go on for so long before being discovered, and what safeguards are auto parts stores implementing to prevent similar losses in the future?
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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