Crime & Safety

Men Given Prison Sentences in Massive Chop Shop Ring

A U.S. District judge sentenced four to prison for their involvement in a scrap metal trafficking crime ring, including thefts in Twinsburg.

Four people were sent to prison Thursday for their involvement in a crime ring called one of the largest vehicle and cargo-theft operations in Twinsburg and elsewhere in Northern Ohio in the last five years.

“These defendants ended up with semi-trucks or pickups that were stolen from parking lots and other places,” Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said.

The ring included thefts in Mentor, Twinsburg, Warrensville Heights, Willoughby, Euclid, Elyria and other cities.

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“Stealing and selling stolen vehicles and cargo comes with a price of incarceration,” Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office, said. “The FBI and our Organized Crime Task Force partners will continue our efforts to detect and dismantle these illegal enterprises which negatively impact our economy and our citizens.”

Six were charged in federal court in connection with the crime ring: 

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  • Nayyir Mahdi, also known as Willie Jones, 42, of Shaker Heights, was sentenced to serve four years in prison and pay just over $22,000 in restitution for his involvement in the crime ring.
  • Lindsey Blackmon, 48, of Cleveland, was sentenced to nearly five years (57 months) in prison by U.S. District Judge John Adams.
  • Curtis Wilder, 43, of Bedford Heights, was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay $346,845 in restitution.
  • Gilbert Evans, 48, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
  • Mark Brown, 46, of Cleveland, was sentenced to one day in jail followed by eight months of home confinement.
  • Davies Pierce, of Cleveland, is scheduled to be sentenced next month. 

Several others, including two men from Mentor, were involved and prosecuted in lower courts.


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