RockAuto Helps the Seattle Police Department FTW
05-18-2012, 01:21 PM
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RockAuto Helps the Seattle Police Department FTW
Cliffs:
-RockAuto worked with the Seattle police department to stop 3 gang members
-The 3 gang members have been that had been tormenting more than 50 Seattle area businesses for months. T
-The gang used their stolen cash, credit cards and other loot to buy methamphetamine and all sorts of stuff including auto parts.
-Be suspicious if you run across a Mercedes-Benz 300E with a Buick window motor jury rigged in place or saw a Cardone 42128 window motor on some auction site.
In early 2010, we contacted the Seattle Police Department to let them know there was somebody in the Seattle area repeatedly trying to use stolen credit cards to buy auto parts from RockAuto. We were directed to the US Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force.
Seattle Police officers on the task force asked us to let them know the next time an order using a stolen credit card was attempted. It did not take long before the crook was back placing another order. The Seattle Police asked us to ship the parts.
Ship Mercedes parts to criminals?! Yes, because the police would be waiting at the shipping address. RockAuto shipped the parts, or at least most of the parts. We substituted a GM power window motor for the Mercedes motor the crook ordered. We hoped he would bust a knuckle or two trying to fit a Buick motor into a Mercedes hole.
The shipping address was just a random house that the crook knew was vacant during the day. A police stakeout was put in place around the house. The FedEx truck pulled up and dropped off the box from RockAuto as well as boxes from several other retailers. The crook arrived shortly, picked up all the boxes and left. The police followed…
It turns out that this crook was part of a gang of three that had been tormenting more than fifty Seattle area businesses for months. The gang burglarized Seattle businesses to steal credit card numbers, payroll system passwords, computer equipment, etc. They often got into buildings using a stolen key meant for use by the Seattle Fire Department during emergencies.
The gang used their stolen cash, credit cards and other loot to buy methamphetamine and all sorts of stuff including auto parts. They resold some of the parts, but they also used stolen parts to accessorize and customize their luxury cars.
It is disappointing to know even the car enthusiast community has a bad apple or two. We at RockAuto would rather be helping real customers, but we were glad to have the opportunity to help the police break up this gang. Two of them pled guilty to some of their crimes and were sentenced last week to 78 months and 95 months in federal prison (for more detailshttp://www.justice.gov/usao/waw/pres...y/griffin.html).
It will take time for the police to sort through and return recovered stolen merchandise and evidence. We may never see that power window motor again. Be suspicious if you run across a Mercedes-Benz 300E with a Buick window motor jury rigged in place or saw a Cardone 42128 window motor on some auction site.
http://www.justice.gov/usao/waw/pres...y/griffin.html
www.justice.gov
-RockAuto worked with the Seattle police department to stop 3 gang members
-The 3 gang members have been that had been tormenting more than 50 Seattle area businesses for months. T
-The gang used their stolen cash, credit cards and other loot to buy methamphetamine and all sorts of stuff including auto parts.
-Be suspicious if you run across a Mercedes-Benz 300E with a Buick window motor jury rigged in place or saw a Cardone 42128 window motor on some auction site.
In early 2010, we contacted the Seattle Police Department to let them know there was somebody in the Seattle area repeatedly trying to use stolen credit cards to buy auto parts from RockAuto. We were directed to the US Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force.
Seattle Police officers on the task force asked us to let them know the next time an order using a stolen credit card was attempted. It did not take long before the crook was back placing another order. The Seattle Police asked us to ship the parts.
Ship Mercedes parts to criminals?! Yes, because the police would be waiting at the shipping address. RockAuto shipped the parts, or at least most of the parts. We substituted a GM power window motor for the Mercedes motor the crook ordered. We hoped he would bust a knuckle or two trying to fit a Buick motor into a Mercedes hole.
The shipping address was just a random house that the crook knew was vacant during the day. A police stakeout was put in place around the house. The FedEx truck pulled up and dropped off the box from RockAuto as well as boxes from several other retailers. The crook arrived shortly, picked up all the boxes and left. The police followed…
It turns out that this crook was part of a gang of three that had been tormenting more than fifty Seattle area businesses for months. The gang burglarized Seattle businesses to steal credit card numbers, payroll system passwords, computer equipment, etc. They often got into buildings using a stolen key meant for use by the Seattle Fire Department during emergencies.
The gang used their stolen cash, credit cards and other loot to buy methamphetamine and all sorts of stuff including auto parts. They resold some of the parts, but they also used stolen parts to accessorize and customize their luxury cars.
It is disappointing to know even the car enthusiast community has a bad apple or two. We at RockAuto would rather be helping real customers, but we were glad to have the opportunity to help the police break up this gang. Two of them pled guilty to some of their crimes and were sentenced last week to 78 months and 95 months in federal prison (for more detailshttp://www.justice.gov/usao/waw/pres...y/griffin.html).
It will take time for the police to sort through and return recovered stolen merchandise and evidence. We may never see that power window motor again. Be suspicious if you run across a Mercedes-Benz 300E with a Buick window motor jury rigged in place or saw a Cardone 42128 window motor on some auction site.
http://www.justice.gov/usao/waw/pres...y/griffin.html
www.justice.gov
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