Adam Hassan, 32, of Guttenberg, pleaded guilty to second-degree receiving stolen property. Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Hassan serve four years in state prison. Tomas Bladimir Castillo-Abreu, 28, of Bronx, N.Y., pleaded guilty to third-degree receiving stolen property. The state will recommend that Castillo-Abreu receive a three-year probation term contingent upon the completion of 364 days of jail time at the Morris County Jail. Hassan will have to pay back $5,000 to offset the costs of his extradition, which was secured from Florida by a collaboration between the OIFP, U.S. Marshals Service and local Florida authorities. A recommendation for Castillo-Abreu’s restitution will be determined prior to his sentencing.

The pair was indicted in 2012 in Morris County for their roles in an auto theft network, whereby Castillo-Abreu would procure stolen luxury vehicles for a middleman, who would then sell the vehicles to Hassan, who intended to resell them to consumers in Abu Dhabi. The charges in this case specifically related to a 2007 Cadillac Escalade and a 2008 BMW 550i.

“These two associates were primary facilitators in a ring of thieves, middlemen and shippers who greedily sought to take for themselves what was hard-earned by auto-purchasing New Jerseyans,” said Acting Attorney General Hoffman. “Neither domestic nor international borders matter when criminals believe easy money can be made. As evidenced by the penalties, New Jersey will not allow its ports and locales to be hubs for international crime.”

“Car theft threatens the integrity of the insurance industry, whether or not the theft itself occurred within our borders,” said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Ronald Chillemi. “The illegal trafficking of these vehicles through our state creates residual effects in the marketplace that will hit the wallets of all policyholders.”

Superior Court Judge Mary Gibbons Whipple scheduled sentencing for Hassan and Castillo-Abreu for October 17 in Morris County.

Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Chillemi and Deputy Attorney General Bradford Muller represented the State. Detectives Richard Lane, Megan Flanagan and Brian Bunn investigated the case. Chillemi also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service and the Broward and Miami County Sheriff’s Departments in Florida for their help in locating Hassan.

Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Chillemi noted that some important cases have started with anonymous tips. People who are concerned about insurance cheating and have information about a fraud can report it anonymously by calling the toll‑free hotline at 1‑877‑55‑FRAUD, or visiting the Web site at www.NJInsurancefraud.org. State regulations permit a reward to be paid to an eligible person who provides information that leads to an arrest, prosecution and conviction for insurance fraud.

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