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Twenty Defendants Sentenced in Million-Dollar Stolen Car Conspiracy Ring
SAVANNAH, GA—Edmund A. Booth, Jr., United States Attorney for the Southern
District of Georgia, announced today that 20 defendants were sentenced over the last month
on their convictions arising from their involvement in a stolen car conspiracy ring centered in
Statesboro and Savannah, Georgia.
Booth stated that these defendants were indicted on December 13, 2007, by the federal
grand jury for the Southern District of Georgia in a 56-count Indictment. The Indictment charged
conspiracy to commit certain offenses against the United States, including trafficking in stolen
motor vehicles, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2313; alteration of motor
vehicle identification numbers (VINs), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 511;
trafficking in motor vehicles with altered VINs, in violation of Title 18, United States Code,
Section 2321; possession of counterfeit state motor vehicle titles with the intent to defraud, in
violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 513; and false statements to investigating
federal law enforcement officers, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.
Booth said that during the course of the charged criminal conduct, members of the
conspiracy stole dozens of vehicles (worth over $1 million total), altered the vehicle
identification number, or VIN, on those stolen vehicles, and sold the stolen vehicles, along with
counterfeit motor vehicle titles, at a steep discount to their co-conspirators. The stolen vehicles
were registered by the purchasers at local tag offices using the counterfeit title and altered VIN.
Some purchasers then later faked the theft of their vehicles with the help of the conspiracy in
order to claim an inflated insurance loss.
From April to June 2008, many of the defendants plead guilty to the offenses charged in
the Indictment. One defendant, WESLEY BERNARD AIKENS, was convicted by a federal
court jury at trial in June 2008.
According to Booth, the defendants were sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge
William T. Moore, Jr. in U.S. District Court in three separate sessions held in May and June
2009 as set forth below:
- RONNIE LEE, JR., age 27, of Savannah, Georgia, convicted of possession of a
counterfeit state security: 77 months' imprisonment; three years' supervised release;
$175,978.74 restitution; and $100 special assessment.
- JAMES WESLEY EDENFIELD, age 38, of Statesboro, Georgia; convicted of
false statements to investigating federal law enforcement officers: six months'
imprisonment; three years' supervised release; $1,000 fine; and $100 special
assessment.
- ADISHA JABARI BRYANT, age 31, of Savannah, Georgia, convicted of
conspiracy: 46 months' imprisonment; three years' supervised release; $82,546.28
restitution; and $100 special assessment.
- WESLEY BERNARD AIKENS, age 33, of Union City, Georgia, convicted of
conspiracy: 51 months' imprisonment; three years' supervised release; $16,364.50 restitution; and $100 special assessment.
- RANDALL LEE CHAMBERS, age 48, of Statesboro, Georgia, convicted of
conspiracy: 18 months' imprisonment; three years' supervised release; $32,808.55
restitution; and $100 special assessment.
- JOHN ALLEN WILLIAMS, age 38, of Duluth, Georgia, convicted of
conspiracy: 18 months' imprisonment; three years' supervised release; $32,808.55
restitution; and $100 special assessment.
- JOHN FITZGERALD JONES, age 45, of Statesboro, Georgia, convicted of
possession of counterfeit state security: 27 months' imprisonment; three years'
supervised release; $37,154.62 restitution; and $100 special assessment.
- ARCHIE DOUGLAS FINCH, age 60, of Portal, Georgia, convicted of
conspiracy: five months' imprisonment; three years' supervised release; and $100 special
assessment.
- ALAN MICHAEL TILLMAN, age 31, of Bluffton, South Carolina, convicted
of conspiracy: 18 months' imprisonment; three years' supervised release; $31,851.12
restitution; and $100 special assessment.
- WOODARD HOOK LEWIS, JR., age 50, of Statesboro, Georgia, convicted of
conspiracy: 21 months' imprisonment; three years' supervised release; $54,441.70
restitution; and $100 special assessment.
- TROY JASON EDENFIELD, age 41, of Statesboro, Georgia, convicted of
trafficking in vehicles with altered VINs: 60 months' imprisonment; $300,684.29
restitution; three years' supervised release; and $100 special assessment.
- LEON SPENCER PATTERSON, age 41, of Snellville, Georgia, convicted of
possession of counterfeit state security: 80 months' imprisonment; $425,770.99
restitution; three years' supervised release; and $100 special assessment.
- JIMMY LEE EVERETT, age 41, of Brooklet, Georgia, convicted of trafficking
in vehicles with altered VIN: 108 months' imprisonment; $332,450.34 restitution;
three years' supervised release; and $100 special assessment. Everett was also
sentenced on the same date for bank fraud in connection with the embezzlement
of over $200,000 from a local pavement marking business (see separate press
release).
- JUSTIN WAYNE PRINCE, age 25, of Statesboro, Georgia, convicted of
possession of counterfeit state security: five years' probation; $47,520.78 restitution;
and $100 special assessment.
- DAISY VICTORIA SCOTT, age 32, of Sylvania, Georgia, convicted of
conspiracy: 10 months' imprisonment; three years' supervised release; $20,222.00
restitution; and $100 special assessment.
- TARYN MARIE YORK, age 24, of Nokesville, Virginia, convicted of
misprision of a felony: three years' probation; $1,000 fine; and $100 special
assessment.
- BRIAN DANIEL HUNT, age 25, of Nokesville, Virginia, convicted of
conspiracy: 18 months' imprisonment; three years' supervised release; $81,083.55 restitution; and $100 special assessment.
- WILLIE BATTISE, JR., age 46, of Pooler, Georgia, convicted of possession of
counterfeit state security: three years' probation; $7,000 restitution, and $100 special
assessment.
- JEFFREY LEE GAINES, age 45, of Pampas, Texas, convicted of conspiracy: five
years' probation, $11,629.12 restitution, and $100 special assessment.
- CHARLIE SIMMONS, age 50, of Pooler, Georgia, convicted of possession of
counterfeit state security: three years' probation; $15,655.54 restitution; and $100
special assessment.
The investigation was led by Special Agent Marcus Kirkland of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and Special Agent Peter McFarlane of the Georgia Department of Revenue, Auto
Theft Unit. The Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation, the Statesboro Police Department, and the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office all
provided substantial assistance in this matter. The government is represented by Assistant
United States Attorney R. Brian Tanner.
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