According to a news report posted on orlandosentinel.com, the Orlando Police Department placed six men under arrest for allegedly running a racketeering operation for several years.
According to an Orlando Police Department spokesperson on Monday, Orlando Police officers stated that they arrested the last of six suspects accused of participating in a string of thefts and burglaries through the States of Florida. The Orlando Police Department named the suspects, and all suspects are between the ages of 18 and 21.
The nine-month law enforcement investigation was dubbed “Operation Hotwheels.” The gang members are facing criminal charges, including conspiracy to commit racketeering, racketeering, and numerous counts of grand theft greater than $20,000. According to the Orlando Police Department, the six thieves stole nearly $2 million in property and caused over $43,000 in property damage.
The gang stole cars from neighborhoods throughout the City of Orlando and then used the stolen cars to commit other criminal offenses such as grand theft auto, burglarizing cars and businesses and cars.
The operation was a group effort consisting of twenty-five local, county, state, and national law enforcement agencies working under the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.