For Immediate Release
October 28, 1999

Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office

FBI Director Louis J. Freeh today announced that "Operation Sudden Stop," a nationwide FBI initiative to combat motor vehicle and cargo theft, continues to achieve notable successes including the recent indictments and or arrests of 125 persons based on investigations initiated by FBI field offices in Miami, Atlanta and Philadelphia.

Today eight individuals were arrested in the FBI's Miami field office and six search warrants were executed in connection with a major cargo theft investigation. Also, as part of this initiative, the FBI's Atlanta field office, on Tuesday, October 26, 1999, arrested 64 persons and executed 19 search warrants in Georgia, New York and Maryland in connection with an investigation targeting a large scale fencing and repackaging criminal organization involved in interstate transportation of stolen property and money laundering. Freeh also said that on September 2, 1999, 53 persons in the FBI's Philadelphia field office were indicted for vehicle theft, mail and wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and tax violations.

"Operation Sudden Stop" is an FBI strategic investigative initiative announced nationwide on April 27, 1999, to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute existing and emerging organized criminal enterprises whose vehicle and cargo theft activities take place in several states throughout the United States.

Since April 1999, the "Operation Sudden Stop" initiative has resulted in over 400 indictments and arrests, both at the federal and local level, of individuals engaged in vehicle/cargo theft and related crimes which affect ordinary Americans each and every day. Currently, 36 task forces in 29 FBI field offices, consisting of FBI and other federal, state and local law enforcement, and a large number of United States Attorneys and local prosecutors are actively participating in this national initiative.

The recently released Uniform Crime Reports indicate the vehicle theft rate for 1998 decreased 9.3 percent from 1997. However, the recovery rate for stolen vehicles has fallen from a high in 1996 of 68 percent recovered to a 65 percent recovery rate in 1998. In addition, the value of vehicles stolen in the U.S. has continued to rise to a high of $7.5 billion in 1998. Freeh stated that although the vehicle theft rate has decreased, the FBI is seeing a trend of organized criminal groups targeting more expensive vehicles for theft and export. These criminal enterprises are becoming increasingly efficient at eluding detection and arrest. Freeh also said that recent FBI estimates indicate cargo theft is a major crime problem in the United States which costs American citizens $6 billion a year nationwide.

"Operation Sudden Stop" is a four-phase, multi-year operation intended to generate multiple arrests of vehicle and cargo theft subjects; exploit the intelligence base developed as a result of the arrests; initiate proactive investigations and utilize sophisticated investigative techniques to target the most active criminal organizations. Ultimately, the purpose of these Federal prosecutions and asset forfeitures will result in the dismantling of these criminal organizations. The first and second phases of this operation continue in full force with numerous additional arrests expected in the coming months.

Within the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, "Operation Sudden Stop" is coordinated by the Violent Crimes and Major Offenders Section, Major Theft/Transportation Crimes Unit.