TRENTON
- Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Criminal
Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor announced
that an Essex County man pleaded guilty
today to acting as a leader of a multi-county
automobile theft ring.
According
to Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Riza
Dagli, Ibn Y. Traynham, 33, of Orange, pleaded
guilty before Superior Court Judge Michael
A. Petrolle in Essex County to an accusation
which charged him with second-degree leader
of an auto theft trafficking network.
Judge
Petrolle scheduled sentencing for Dec. 1.
Under the plea agreement, the Office of
the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor will recommend
a sentence of six years in state prison
for Traynham.
In
pleading guilty, Traynham admitted that
between April 15, 2006 and April 22, 2010,
he conspired with others as an organizer,
supervisor and financier in a scheme to
unlawfully distribute, bring into or transport
high end automobiles in the State of New
Jersey, as stolen property.
Today’s
plea is part of an ongoing investigation
into thefts of high end automobiles from
Port Authority new car holding lots. The
Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
arrested Traynham this past April in an
undercover operation where he attempted
to purchase a 2010 BMW 650I, valued at approximately
$90,000, which he believed had been stolen
from the Port Authority lot with the intent
to resell it.
Further
investigation revealed that Traynham was
an individual previously known only by the
nickname “T”. Traynham admitted
to being a leader of an automobile theft
ring that had sold stolen vehicles to an
undercover detective in a 2006 undercover
operation. He had eluded arrest and could
not be identified by name at the time. The
2006 investigation determined that Traynham
had sold stolen cars, including a 2005 Infiniti
FX, valued at $31,770, a 2004 BMW M5, valued
at $41,270, a 2006 Audi A3, valued at $22,640,
and a 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche, valued at
$15,000.
Detectives
Jarek Pyrzanowski and Amy Carson and former
Deputy Attorney General John J. Higgins
were assigned to the investigation. They
were assisted by Detective Wendy Berg. Deputy
Attorney General Nicole Rizzolo represented
the state at the guilty plea hearing. Acting
Prosecutor Dagli thanked the Port Authority
of New York & New Jersey Police, the
Union County Prosecutor’s Office and
BMW North America for their assistance in
the investigation.
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