A Ford employee and three others are under arrest for their alleged involvement in a multi-million-dollar theft ring. The Dearborn Police Department in southeast Michigan is accusing the employee of stealing parts and accessories from various Ford factories and reselling them online through third-party auto shops.
According to police, the thefts happened for over two years, with parts pulled right off assembly lines. Police executed search warrants at two Detroit businesses and two homes earlier this week after a months-long investigation that included help from Ford’s Global Security team.
Photo by: Christopher Smith / Motor1
Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shanin told Fox 2 Detroit that when officers executed the search warrant at one of the Detroit shops, brand-new auto parts were stacked “from the floor to the ceiling.”
The employee allegedly stole hoods, headlights, bumpers, headlight assemblies, running boards, and more from three Ford factories: Flat Rock Assembly Plant, Ford Rouge Complex, and Michigan Assembly Plant. These factories produce the F-150, Ranger, Bronco, and Mustang for the Dearborn-based automaker.
Police have not revealed the identities of the four individuals arrested pending formal charges. However, they remain in custody. Possible charges include grand theft auto, racketeering, and operating a criminal enterprise.
This is the second large-scale theft operation uncovered this year where individuals were stealing parts from automotive factories. Less than a month ago, police in India uncovered a years-long operation that stole over 900 Kia engines. The bad actors allegedly tampered with plant records to cover up their misdeeds.
“Such criminal plots will not be tolerated in Dearborn, and we will employ all resources to bring them down,” Shahin said in the statement announcing the arrests.
