gotplates vehicle history by vinaudit.com

DMV and CDI Investigators Assist with Operation VIN City in Riverside County

34 vehicles worth approximately 1.5 million dollars recovered

RIVERSIDE – In 2019, the Riverside Auto-Theft Interdiction Detail (RAID) began an investigation into a criminal organization involved in Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) switching on a high number of stolen vehicles, many of which were sold to innocent purchasers throughout Southern California, Nevada and Arizona. Over the course of several months, RAID identified several homes in Riverside, Orange, and Los Angeles Counties where the suspects involved would fraudulently create DMV documents, temporary dealer license plates, VINs and other materials necessary to fraudulently register these vehicles with the DMV.

All the vehicles identified throughout this investigation were newer models, and included several luxury manufacturers such as Land Rover, BMW, Bentley, and Mercedes. Many of these vehicles were provided to other criminal associates involved with the distribution and sales of narcotics and many were sold to innocent purchasers.

During the preliminary stages of the investigation, RAID recovered 12 VIN-switched stolen vehicles, some of which were purchased by unsuspecting buyers via social media applications and independent auto dealerships through bank financing.

On May 21, 2020, Operation VIN City culminated with a multi-agency search warrant service at several locations throughout Riverside, Orange, and Los Angeles Counties. The operation resulted in the recovery of an additional 22-VIN switched stolen vehicles, the arrest of 15 suspects, the seizure of 15 firearms and illegal drugs. The total value of the 34 vehicles recovered by RAID was approximately 1.5 million dollars.

“Great job by a large group of investigative agencies, including the California Department of Motor Vehicles Investigation Division and California Department of Department of Insurance,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “It often takes a group effort on local, state and federal levels to uncover these types of crimes and arrest those involved.”

Among those arrested were:

• Alex Coria Rosales (31),
• Rolando Velasquez (29),
• Jose Paleo (26) and
• Francisco Sanchez (26)

These individuals and their criminal organization are suspected of VIN switching more than 100 stolen vehicles causing a significant financial impact to the victims.

Operation VIN City was a success as a result of collaboration and support from the following agencies;

• Los Angeles Taskforce for Regional Auto-Theft Prevention (TRAP),
• LAPD, San Bernardino County Auto-Theft Task Force (SANCATT),
• Orange County Auto-Theft Task Force (OCATT),
• Regional Auto-Theft Task Force – San Diego (RATT),
• California Highway Patrol – Border Division, Southern Division and Inland Division,
• Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA),
• Arizona Regional Auto-Theft Team Law Enforcement Response (RATTLER),
• Gilbert Police Department
• Arizona, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms (ATF),
• Gardena Police Department,
• Huntington Park Police Department,
• Riverside County Regional Gang Task Force,
• Riverside Sheriff’s Departments – SWAT, Lake Elsinore SET, Perris SET, and Special Investigations Bureau,
• Riverside Police Department,
• Beaumont Police Department,
• Riverside County District Attorney’s Office,
• Department of Motor Vehicles Investigations,
• National Insurance Crime Bureau,
• California Department of Insurance,
• Cathedral City Police Department,
• and Murrieta Police Department.

RAID’s primary mission is to investigate, arrest and prosecute criminals responsible for auto-theft. Auto-theft suspects are frequently involved in additional criminal behavior to include weapons possession, narcotics trafficking, and other violent crimes which impact the community.

The RAID task force is committed to aggressively investigating all crimes associated with auto-theft.

Former DMV Employee Sentenced for Falsifying Government Records

Case investigated by CSLEA AMVIC member Calen Albert

VISALIA – On August 1, 2019, Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division Judge Brett Alldredge sentenced Jose Hernandez, 53, to four years suspended state prison and ordered Hernandez to spend 270 days in custody of the Tulare County jail.

On May 14, 2019, Hernandez pleaded no contest to six felony counts of computer access fraud to alter a record and six felony counts of falsifying a government record. The 12 counts constituted all charges filed against Hernandez. No plea offers were made in this case.

The case arose out of an intensive two-year internal investigation by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) involving offices in Los Angeles, San Diego and Tulare counties. Multiple DMV employees, including Hernandez in Visalia, fraudulently granted passing scores on written tests to individuals who did not passed the necessary tests for commercial licenses. Hernandez did this with six drivers who paid $400 to $600 to DMV employees or intermediaries to upgrade their licenses.

“This case depicts the difficult and time-consuming investigative work done by DMV investigators.  It’s unfortunate the investigation involved employees within their own department.  It is not a reflection of those DMV clerks who perform their jobs honestly and work to protect all of us from drivers who, either shouldn’t be behind the wheel, or need more time to better understand the rules of the road,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Paula Clark of the Consumer Protection Unit and was investigated by DMV Investigator Calen Albert of the DMV Office of Internal Affairs.