Four Men Arrested for Stealing Parts From Ford Factories
A story worthy of a movie script made the news out of Detroit, Michigan this week when four men, including a former Ford employee, were arrested as part of an investigation into a sophisticated auto parts theft ring.
The twist is that the stolen parts were taken right off the assembly line. According to the Dearborn Police Department, a months-long investigation in conjunction with Ford's security services led to the arrests of the four on May 6.
Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin told local television station Fox 2 that the thieves had been removing parts directly from the assembly line for two years. Millions of dollars have been stolen from the company.
The parts were allegedly stolen from the Dearborn, Flat Rock and Wayne plants. These plants produce some of Ford's most popular models: the F-150 pickup truck in Dearborn, the Mustang in Flat Rock, and the Ranger and Bronco in Wayne.
The Scheme
After the parts were stolen from the assembly line, they were apparently transported to one of two complicit auto shops in Detroit. From there, police say, the parts were listed and sold on eBay.
Police obtained search warrants for two Detroit residences and two businesses as part of the investigation. "When we executed a search warrant on one of the stores in Detroit, it was filled from floor to ceiling with new auto parts," said Issa Shahin. Inside the store, police say they found Ford hoods, bumpers, headlights and taillights, all stockpiled and waiting to be sold.
The names of the thugs have not been released because the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office has yet to file formal charges. It's only a matter of time before they do.