NC raids nab Hope Mills, Raeford men in $630,000 semi-truck theft scheme: SBI
HOPE MILLS, N.C. (WNCN) — State officials raided areas of Cumberland and Hoke counties on Wednesday, busting two men in a two-state truck theft ring, authorities said Thursday.
The bust took down an operation that stole big rigs and trailers worth more than $630,000, according to a Thursday news release from the N.C. SBI.
Despite the arrests and some recoveries, “dozens of additional vehicles connected to this scheme remain unaccounted for,” state officials said.
The theft investigation started at the North Carolina coast. The criminals used a ruse of changing information on property following various thefts in North and South Carolina, officials said.
Authorities said in the release that the team stole “trucks, altered vehicle identification numbers and license plates, and then rented the vehicles to unsuspecting individuals and businesses.”
In the culmination of the probe, various law enforcement agencies searched properties in Hope Mills and Hoke County.
The Wednesday searches by the NC SBI recovered:
- two motor vehicles
- six semi-trucks
- three trailers
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