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Christopher "Chucky" Mulkern, age 22, of Stratford, was sentenced on Monday, Jan. 3, to prison time, followed by three years of supervised release, said Leonard C Boyle, US Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, Connecticut State Police, and local police have been investigating multiple car theft rings in Connecticut and violent crimes that are being committed using stolen vehicles.
The investigation revealed that Mulkern and others have stolen numerous motor vehicles, and used the stolen vehicles to travel throughout Connecticut and to neighboring states to steal other vehicles and the valuables inside, including credit cards, cellular telephones, and firearms, court documents said.
In December 2020, Mulkern and Edwin Cordero stole a Porsche Panamera from a residence in Westport, court documents said.
The next night, police in Westerly, Rhode Island, identified the stolen Porsche and attempted to stop the car. The Porsche drove recklessly, at speeds of at least 86 mph, between Rhode Island and Connecticut, and evaded police who, for safety reasons, were forced to terminate pursuit, court documents showed.
Mulkern, Cordero and others used the stolen Porsche to steal a Dodge Challenger from a residence in Milford.
On the same night, Stratford Police spotted and attempted to stop the Porsche, which was being driven by Mulkern and in which Cordero was a passenger.
During the pursuit, Mulkern rammed a car stopped at a red light at an intersection, drove up on the sidewalk and through the red light, and then struck a second vehicle, causing the second vehicle to flip onto its roof, court documents said.
Mulkern drove the damaged Porsche onto I-95 into Bridgeport, where he and Cordero were apprehended as they attempted to enter another stolen Audi A4 that was parked on Gregory Street.
A search of the stolen Audi revealed approximately 13 key fobs for other vehicles, and a search of the Porsche revealed five cellphones, the State Attorney's Office said.
In addition, Cordero possessed a key fob for the stolen Dodge Challenger, which was later located parked on Main Street in Bridgeport, and Mulkern possessed two stolen credit cards.
Mulkern has been detained since his arrest. In April he pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of a stolen vehicle.
Cordero pleaded guilty to the same offense and awaits sentencing.
Cordero and Mulkern have also agreed to pay restitution to at least seven owners of vehicles they stole and/or damaged.
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