Auto theft scheme unraveled
Authorities charge 5 people, including Charleston minister, in elaborate plot
She created a diversion while they grabbed the keys.
Provided
Among the vehicles recovered by the North Charleston Police Department was a 2005 Ford Mustang GT that was stolen from Hoover Dodge in Summerville. (The Mustang shown in the stock photo above is not the one that was stolen).
Authorities announced Wednesday that they uncovered a sophisticated auto theft ring that disguised vehicles in a confusing trail of paperwork. The vehicles were stolen from dealerships throughout the Southeast.
A 30-something blonde and others distracted dealership employees, detectives said, so they could switch fake keys for the real ones and have somebody drive off with the vehicles later.
A major player in the ring, authorities contend, is the Rev. Tory Fields of Union Baptist Church in Charleston, who is accused of possessing four vehicles stolen in the scheme. Now out on bail, Fields said he is just another one of the scheme's unwitting victims.
Police are still looking for the blonde woman.
Detectives described a scheme that began by disguising the origin of wrecked, inoperable cars at wrecking yards in the tri-county area. Then, they said, ring members stole similar vehicles from car dealerships, a feat allegedly accomplished by switching fake keys while posing as prospective buyers, then returning during the night and driving off.
Finally, detectives said, ring members swapped out valid registrations and tags from the salvage vehicles, making the stolen vehicles appear legit.
To check the National Insurance Crime Bureau's database for statistics on stolen vehicles and to check a vehicle VIN, go to www.nicb.org.
The ruse was clever enough to earn back-handed compliments such as "very smart," "elaborate" and "very organized" from those investigating the case.
"When our officers are pulling over vehicles, the tags are coming back clear, the registration is coming back clear," said North Charleston police Detective Jason Forsythe. "We did recover many of them, and once we did, the VIN numbers came back stolen."
Investigators included police from Charleston and North Charleston, Charleston and Berkeley County sheriff's detectives, and agents from the State Law Enforcement Division and the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
The evidence
To date, authorities have recovered 23 stolen vehicles valued at more than $600,000, Forsythe said, and they think at least 10 others disappeared as part of the same scheme. The vehicles ranged from full-size pickups to sedans and sports cars stolen locally and throughout the Palmetto State, as well as North Carolina and Georgia. Most were sold on the side of the road for cash.
Recovered vehicles
A partial list of stolen vehicles recovered by the North Charleston Police Department:
Area dealerships:
2005 Ford Mustang GT, Hoover Dodge in Summerville
2006 Dodge Charger, Summerville Hoover Chrysler
2008 Dodge Magnum, Summerville Hoover Chrysler
Dealerships outside the Lowcountry:
2007 Honda Accord, Lumberton Honda in Lumberton, N.C.
2006 Dodge Charger, Grand Strand Nissan in Myrtle Beach
2007 Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson model, Bobby Jones Ford in Augusta
2003 Ford F-150 Harley- Davidson model, a Jasper County car lot.
Vehicles recovered by Berkeley County Sheriff's Office.
2006 Dodge Durango, stolen from Savannah Dodge in Savannah
2007 Ford F-150 King Ranch truck, stolen from Vic Bailey dealership in Spartanburg
"All of them are way too good of a deal for the cars they're getting, so that should have sent up red flags," said Charleston County sheriff's Detective Jeremy Kraus.
The case began to unravel in June, when federal and local investigators discovered stolen vehicles in Charleston and North Charleston with fake identification information, a release says. In both cases, the information came from a wrecked vehicle.
The trail led investigators to the home of the minister, whose given name is Hason Tatorian Fields and who serves as the main pastor at Union Baptist Church at 708 Meeting St.
Fields is a member and past president of the local chapter of the RainbowPUSH Coalition, the social-justice organization founded by the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Authorities arrested Fields on July 1 after searching the home at 1010 Deerberry Road in Goose Creek and finding two stolen pickups, affidavits say. The investigation also linked the pastor to two stolen vehicles found in North Charleston.
Fields is charged with four counts of possessing a stolen motor vehicle, two each in Charleston and Berkeley counties. He left the Charleston County Detention Center on July 4 after posting $15,000 bail; his bail in Berkeley County was $50,000. A SLED background check shows that Fields was convicted of trafficking cocaine in Dorchester County in 1991.
The accused
Reached on Wednesday, Fields called his arrest a "travesty" and said he bought all the vehicles at auction. He said he purchased them from a man from Florida whom he met a few years ago near an auction site along U.S. Highway 17A near Moncks Corner. He never checked the vehicle identification numbers and never learned of the deceit until authorities came knocking.
"My money's gone. My car's gone. I don't have anything now," he said during a phone interview.
Fields said he had contacted his insurance company to repair damage after a wreck and had been ticketed by a state trooper in one of the vehicles in question. Until his arrest, he said, nobody ever noticed anything wrong. He said he had tried to cooperate.
Also charged in the case are four others accused of possessing vehicles stolen in the scheme: Sonya F. Jones, 31; Michelle Clark, 25; her brother, Antonio Clark, 31; and Kriishna Antonio Myers, 31.
Loopholes closed
Authorities advised anybody with suspicions about a car they have bought to check the VIN, something any owner can do through the National Insurance Crime Bureau or through a company called CARFAX that provides detailed vehicle histories for a fee. Detectives also encouraged anybody with suspicions about their car to come forward as soon as possible or risk facing criminal charges.
Department of Motor Vehicles Communications Director Beth Parks said the state agency has made changes to close loopholes found during the investigation.
"These are tactics that are being used across the country," Parks said. "We have adjusted our procedures to make it more difficult to do this."
Clerks no longer issue duplicate titles in person to anyone other than a vehicle's owner, she said, and now mail them to the address of record instead. She declined to discuss other changes, saying they were internal.
Reach Noah Haglund at 937-5550 or nhaglund@postandcourier.com
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Comments
This article has 33 comment(s)
Posted by BillytheKid on July 17, 2008 at 2:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
4 cars in his possession, next case.
Posted by socarboy99 on July 17, 2008 at 5:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You know what's coming next...Tory Fields is going to
play the "race card"..."I'm being singled out because
I'm African American...".
If Rev Fields claims to be a man of God, he should
confess and take his punishment.
Posted by Tammie on July 17, 2008 at 7:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
They sure took a lot of Fords and Dodges...I would have been laughing my azz off if they stole like those fools did last year (I think it was) who was stealing Hyundais. They had those poor hamsters working overtime.
Posted by Missthang on July 17, 2008 at 7:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
why would he play the race card if they're also looking for a blonde female? Its not about race.
Posted by 1963 on July 17, 2008 at 8:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Quote: "My money's gone. My car's gone. I don't have anything now,"
I thought is was more like 4 vehicles gone.
Hiding behind the cloth. I think they got the right man here.
Posted by sbs920 on July 17, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
brother in the hood. . .
up to not good. . .
crying for his innocense. . .
but ain't got a lick of sense. . .
got him some carz 1.2.3 4. . .
just might be see'in those prison bars. . .
some call'em him a Rev, I don't know. . .
This homeboy go'in down for sho !
YO! BOI!
Posted by MissPriss on July 17, 2008 at 9:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Tammie you better quit with the hamster jokes. :) It's too early. LOL
I think they got the right man here. Next case.
Posted by coolfreaknbeans on July 17, 2008 at 9:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
QOUTE:"All of them are way too good of a deal for the cars they're getting, so that should have sent up red flags," said Charleston County sheriff's Detective Jeremy Kraus.First off I need to say that I"M NOT implying this guys innocent at all.However it's a little scary to think you could be blamed for getting a good deal on a car.I mean I would just assume I was getting a good deal.Why would "red flags" go off just by getting a good deal?(unless of course the car was priced insanely low)Ive gotten great deals on cars over the years.(military people moving and forced to sell,etc.)I'll be sure to be extra careful now.In this case I think he probably knew damn good and well though-I mean 4 really good deals...no way.Can you imagine buying a car and then your name being in the paper for having a stolen vehicle?I hope they have proof that the other people KNEW they were buying stolen cars.
Posted by common_sense on July 17, 2008 at 9:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The good Reverend is about as "Godly" a man as another Reverend we all know & love....Jesse "Obama is talking down to the ni**ers again" Jackson. There's a special place in hell for men of the cloth who act in a manner as these two do.
I'm just sayin...
Posted by mssmalls on July 17, 2008 at 9:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Torey is a fake and a phony. How can you call yourself a preacher and you are busted with cocaine and now you steal cars. I wonder if his congregation has his back? He's nothing but a con-artist for real. He is just going to try and lie and scheme his way out of this(calling himself a victim). I feel sorry for the people in his church who thought they were worshipping to a Godly man.
Posted by summerville_guy on July 17, 2008 at 10:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I would hope that some disciplinary action is taken by the affected dealerships against the employees who stupidly allowed keys to be stolen. How can you be responsible for very expensive merchandise and allow yourself to be "distracted" by a woman to the point that you have no idea what is going on with the keys to that merchandise? Just ridiculous.
Posted by tallblonde on July 17, 2008 at 10:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm innocent - yet distracting........ :-)
Posted by RedSnappa on July 17, 2008 at 11:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
summerville guy,
The keys were switched by the perp. They knew what cars they were targeting, and asked to hear them run....when they switched off the ignition, they gave the wrong key back to the dealership employee.then came back later and drove away with the car. Pretty slick if you ask me!
Coolbeans..... If you can buy a 30K car for 10K.....doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure that out. Greed will burn you faster than anything else, ask all the investors that Parish promised huge returns to.
Posted by summerville_guy on July 17, 2008 at 11:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
tallblonde, are you sure you're not Coldbeer's alter ego?
Posted by suec on July 17, 2008 at 11:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Detectives described a scheme that began by disguising the origin of wrecked, inoperable cars at wrecking yards in the tri-county area."
This part confuses me. How did they get the information off of the wrecked cars? Was a tow comapny or salvage yard employee involved?
Posted by flame711 on July 17, 2008 at 12:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wonder if tallblonde is who they are looking for.
The Rev.. ugh.. I wonder why a "man" pf god needs 4 cars anyhow..people like him will be the first to burn in H_E_double hockey sticks!
Posted by A2D37 on July 17, 2008 at 12:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Good question suec you would think so right?Because that is not public knowledge when you have a wreck.I bet you will see all type of different people involved in this.
Posted by tallblonde on July 17, 2008 at 12:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
flame711 - *LOL* Not me! I can honestly say that I've never got a great deal on a car - let alone stolen one....besides, I'm a BMW kind of gal :)
Posted by coolfreaknbeans on July 17, 2008 at 12:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
RedSnappa -Well duhhh.I know that.But to what extent of a good deal was my point.You don't get something for nothing,as the saying goes.That I get.But not all crooks go selling cars at half off.And I don't find getting a good deal on a car a greedy trait,just sensible.
Posted by CaptPete on July 17, 2008 at 1:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Playing dumb is the first defense. He's saying some person took advantage of him. I wonder what he was using as a tag?
Posted by suec on July 17, 2008 at 1:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wonder if he had handicap placards in any of his 4 cars?
Posted by Rebel_Yell on July 17, 2008 at 1:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Just cause he bought 4 cars from a hot blonde should not put up any red flags. Doesn't everyone have 4 cars?
They should investigate that insurance claim a little harder as well -- there's got to be some fraud in there as well.
Posted by Cougars787 on July 17, 2008 at 3:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Jesse Jackson is struggling right now, first his comments, now his club member is stealing cars. I bet Obama's rev. was in on the scheme also.
Posted by ForPnC on July 17, 2008 at 4:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
He needed those cars to pick up kids.
Posted by common_sense on July 17, 2008 at 5:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So he did it "for the children", ForPnC?
Posted by PalmettoHawk on July 17, 2008 at 5:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If the deal seems too good to be true it probably is.
Posted by ForPnC on July 17, 2008 at 5:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Common - It's the new way for clergymen to pick up kids. They can't take them to the back room anymore. They keep getting caught back there.
Posted by bkc6 on July 17, 2008 at 8:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Don't mean to change the subject but please If anyone knows the whereabouts of Teddy Bear from Teddy Bear Used Cars please comment on this site.
Posted by Siri on July 17, 2008 at 8:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Berkeley Co. officers came upon a young woman sitting in a truck on the side of the road. She said it had ran out of gas. Some time later, the same officers came back by and kindly gave the young woman a ride home. Later the same evening {last week} Goose Creek officers came by, ran the VIN# and discovered the truck was stolen several days earlier. After contacting the owner, who had reported the theft, the truck was finally redeemed from the tow yard. The tow yard charged full price towing and refused to give it up without this on day 1, without that on day 2, and finally released it on day 3 with 3 days storaged attached to the bill. They have yet to return to the address and arrest the young woman found sitting in the driver's seat.
Posted by southerngirl45 on July 17, 2008 at 9:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
OMG another PARISH! Fields is NOT a MAN OF GOD.He is a wolf in sheeps clothing( a quote from the Bible)Hope those two don't hook up in prison, no-one will be safe from these thieves!!!!!!!
Posted by Slick50 on July 17, 2008 at 9:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I guess the Rev. Fields didn't take a vow of poverty.
Posted by dixiegrl98 on July 18, 2008 at 1:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
May the Lord have mercy.....what a disgrace for a pastor of a church to do such a thing,we as a society are fast loosing role models we can look up to,and if we can't count on the head of church,who can we count on?
Posted by manofgod on August 2, 2008 at 12:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
He IS A DRITY DOG HE WILL GO 2 HELL 4 SURE I HATE PEOPLE LIKE HIM!FAKE ALL DAY LONG AND HE MIGHT B GAY THATS WHAT I HEARD.1st it was COCAIN HUH NOW HOT CARS, WHAT A DUM A** DONT GO 2 TORY's CHURCH HE WILL SEND YOU 2 HELL AND HE GOT A WIFE AND SHE,GOT 2 BE A DUM BI*CH 2 STAY WHIT HIM 1,2,3, LOOK OUT 4 TORY HE IS A THIEF ALL DAY. I HOPE HE GET RAPE IN JAIL, THEM FLORIDA BOYS GOING 2 KICK HIS A**, REAL GOOD I HEARD HE OWE $100,OOO THOUSAND TO THEM BOYS.TORY HAVE FUN IN HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!P.S.TIME WILL TELL THE TRUTH!EVERYONE WHO HAD A CAR,KNEW WHAT WAS UP?THEY WAS STOLEN.GONE IN 60SEC,PART 2!STARRING REV.TORY FIELDS,AS NICHOLAS CAGE.COMING TO A MOVIE THEATRE NEAREST YOU.