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Nathaniel Bell was sentenced to 57 months in prison after previously pleading guilty in Newark federal court to conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles, five counts of altering or removing motor vehicle identification numbers (VINs) and one count of transportation of stolen vehicles, Acting US Attorney Victor Khanna said.
Bell was the leader of a group that obtained stolen vehicles from New Jersey, New York, Florida, and other states, obtained fraudulent titles for the stolen vehicles, and altered vehicle identification numbers to conceal the fact that the vehicles were stolen, Khanna said.
Along with his co-conspirators, they then sold the stolen cars to dealerships or individual purchasers so they could make a profit, Khanna said. In at least two cases, the co-conspirators sold a stolen car to an individual purchaser and then stole it back so they could sell it again, Khanna said.
Bell also knowingly altered or removed the VIN numbers on five vehicles and knowingly transported a stolen vehicle between New York and New Jersey, Khanna said.
Bell’s co-conspirators, Johnathan Tanksley, 31, of Orange; L’Hubermane Felix, 25, of Miami, Florida; and Dayanna Sarango-Hidalgo, 29, of Newark, have all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles, Khanna said. Felix was previously sentenced to two years in prison, Khanna said. Tanksley and Sarango-Hidalgo await sentencing, Khanna said.
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