By: Richard L. Smith
A Linden, New Jersey man has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison for orchestrating a scheme to receive, alter, and resell stolen vehicles, authorities announced.
According to federal officials, Nathaniel Bell, 27, received a 57-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles, altering or removing vehicle identification numbers (VINs), and transporting stolen vehicles across state lines.
U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler also sentenced Bell to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution.
According to court records, Bell led a multi-state operation that acquired stolen vehicles from New Jersey, New York, Florida, and other states.
The group manipulated VINs and obtained fraudulent titles to disguise the vehicles’ stolen status before reselling them to dealerships and individual buyers for profit.
In some instances, Bell and his co-conspirators took their crimes even further—selling stolen vehicles to private buyers, only to steal them back and resell them again.
Bell also personally altered or removed VINs on five vehicles and transported a stolen car from New York to New Jersey.
Several of Bell’s accomplices have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the operation.
Johnathan Tanksley, 31, of Orange; L’Hubermane Felix, 25, of Miami, Florida; and Dayanna Sarango-Hidalgo, 29, of Newark, all admitted to conspiracy charges.
Felix has already been sentenced to two years in prison, while Tanksley and Sarango-Hidalgo are awaiting sentencing.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of ongoing efforts to combat vehicle theft and fraud.