4-23-2026 4:39am

Local Car Thefts

CAR GONE IN SECONDS': International car theft ring dismantled in DC, multiple charged

Federal and D.C. officials announced Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the takedown of a major international car theft ring operating, with multiple people now facing charges. (Frank Becker/7News)

Federal and D.C. officials announced Wednesday the takedown of a major international car theft ring operating, with multiple people now facing charges.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, joined by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll, and FBI said an international auto theft ring operating across the D.C. region stole more than 100 cars in under a minute and shipped them overseas for major profits.

Pirro describes the high-tech theft as requiring no keys, no smashed windows, and no traditional break-ins.

Instead, officials said crews used a device known as an “Autel” to reprogram a vehicle’s system, allowing thieves to create a new key fob and drive off.

Federal and D.C. officials announced Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the takedown of a major international car theft ring operating, with multiple people now facing charges. (US Attorney's Office)

“This is the new world of car theft,” Pirro said, explaining that vehicles could be taken in as little as 60 seconds.

Authorities said the thieves targeted a range of vehicles, including Corvettes, Camaros and Honda Civics. The operation spanned Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

According to prosecutors, stolen cars were taken to “cool-off” locations, including areas in D.C.'s Navy Yard and a parking garage at a Maryland Marriott hotel, where license plates were swapped.

Federal and D.C. officials announced Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the takedown of a major international car theft ring operating, with multiple people now facing charges. (US Attorney's Office)

From there, vehicles were transported to ports in Savannah, Georgia, and Baltimore, Maryland, and loaded into shipping containers "labeled as furniture."

Officials said the cars were then shipped to Africa, where they were sold on the black market for high profits.

"They are transported and funneled to ports and in sealed containers, they're shipped across the ocean to Africa, where demand is sky high and profits are enormous," Pirro said.

Federal and D.C. officials announced Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the takedown of a major international car theft ring operating, with multiple people now facing charges. (Frank Becker/7News)

Officials have identified more than 20 stolen vehicles linked directly to the indictment, valued at nearly $1 million.

Bowser also added officials believe the ring may be connected to the theft of more than 100 vehicles in D.C. and more than 30 additional vehicles in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

"We know that when any type of crime happens, even a property crime, it affects people's peace and enjoyment of their homes, their neighborhoods and their sense of public safety," Bowser said.

Charged in the indictment are Jacob Hernandez, 29, of Los Angeles; Dustin Wetzel, 23, of Woodbridge, Virginia; James Young, 23, of Hyattsville, Maryland; Khobe David, 24, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland; and Chance Clark, 25, of Waldorf, Maryland.

One additional person remains at large and is considered a fugitive.

The charges include conspiracy, interstate transportation of stolen vehicles, possession of stolen vehicles, first-degree theft, and related offenses.