Thread: Detroit crime ring shipped cars out of country

Last Updated: August 31. 2011 2:07PM.

Grand jury indictment: Detroit crime ring shipped cars out of country

Robert Snell/ The Detroit News

Detroit— Federal agents have arrested 13 members of an international car-theft ring that stole rental cars, drove them to Canada and shipped them to Iraq, according to federal investigators.

An indictment, unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Detroit, charged six people with participating in a conspiracy to transport stolen goods, in this case luxury sedans, sport-utility vehicles and other cars. Six others have been charged in a criminal complaint with transporting stolen property while another person was charged with mail fraud.

Investigators with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — in a criminal probe dating to 2009 and dubbed "Operation Hot Wheels" — have arrested nine people in Metro Detroit and four in the San Diego, Calif., area over the last two days and are hunting for a 14th suspect.

"Criminal groups often believe they are employing ingenious techniques to further their illicit activity," Brian Moskowitz, special agent in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations, said in a prepared statement. "In a global law enforcement environment, however, HSI has the sophisticated tools and resources it needs to follow a lengthy paper trail to expose schemes such as this and bring those involved to justice."

The six people named in the indictment are: Adnan Hana, 57; Heather Hana, 29; Jason Hana, 27; Sabah Hermiz, 57; Danieal Korkis, 46, and Nazar Quiryaqous All are from Sterling Heights and investigators said Adnan Hana headed the crime ring.

Korkis is the only who has not been arrested.

It is unclear how many vehicles were involved in the crime ring; the indictment only mentions five. But investigators said the ring was operating on a large scale.

"When people steal from American companies, we all suffer in the form of higher rates that get passed on to the consumer," U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said in a prepared statement.

Along with co-conspirators, the six rented vehicles from national auto rental companies, according to the indictment. The plan involved stealing the vehicles, driving them to Canada, shipping them overseas for sale then reporting the vehicles as stolen, according to the indictment.

The vehicles included a Dodge Journey, an Infinity, a Toyota Avalon, Chevrolet Tahoe and Toyota Highlander.

On Nov. 28, 2008, Korkis rented a 2009 Dodge Journey from Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Warren, according to the indictment. On Dec. 1, 2008, he drove the Journey into Canada across the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron. Hours later, he returned via the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel without the Journey.

Court records claim he later filed a report with Detroit police claiming the Journey was stolen on Dec. 1 in Detroit.

Eleven months later, investigators found the Journey at the Port of Montreal in Quebec in a sea container bound for Iraq via Turkey, according to the indictment.

Export documents listed the exporter as Discount Auto Sales on West Seven Mile in Detroit. The company was owned by Adnan Hana, according to the indictment.

Hana filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in April 2007, listing more than $690,000 in liabilities and $455,000 in assets. He said he was unemployed and that the auto company had closed in 2006.

The six individuals charged in criminal complaints with transporting stolen goods include:

Ghanim Ganna, 59, Sterling Heights

Joey Youkhanna, 24, Sterling Heights

Peter Barno, 28, Sterling Heights

Wasem Aziz, 26, Warren

Nilton Asmar, 30, Sterling Heights

Sala Hanna, 57, El Cajon, Calif.

Samir Daly, 48, El Cajon

Ramzi Yousef, 58, of El Cajon, was charged in a criminal complaint with mail fraud.

Youkhanna's defense lawyer, Ziad Abouzeid, said his client is an employee at Happy's Pizza and did nothing wrong.

"Joey, he's innocent of all these charges," Abouzeid said. "It's people from the same community, and it's wrong place, wrong time."

rsnell@detnews.com
(313) 222-2028

http://detnews.com/article/20110831/MET ... z1WdUHLBIS

Three El Cajon men charged in Iraqi auto theft ring

EL CAJON — Three El Cajon men have been arrested in connection with an international auto theft ring based out of the Detroit area, federal authorities announced Wednesday.

The scheme involved renting vehicles from national rental car chains in Michigan and Ohio, driving them into Canada, then filing police reports claiming the vehicles had been stolen or carjacked in Detroit, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

The stolen vehicles, mostly luxury sedans and SUVs, would then be shipped to Iraq.

The investigation, dubbed “Operation Hot Wheels,â€