Nuneaton gang jailed for stealing 35 cars across the country
The vehicles were worth a combined £500,000.
Last updated 30th Jan 2024
A Nuneaton gang that stole more than half a million pounds worth of vehicles has been jailed after targeting sites across five counties.
Thirty-five vehicles were stolen across Warwickshire, Coventry, Staffordshire, Northamptonshire and Leicestershire over a five-year period between December 2016 and March 2021.
The gang targeted vehicles with keyless technology parked at residential properties and businesses using electronic devices that allowed them to gain entry and drive away in a matter of seconds.
The stolen vehicles were either broken down for parts or the offenders used a sophisticated process to change the identification of the vehicles, selling them on to unsuspecting buyers who had no idea they were stolen.
Four men were jailed for a combined total of more than 14 years at Warwick Crown Court yesterday (Monday 29 January) after being convicted of conspiring to steal motor vehicles.
James Griffiths and Scott Prosser were arrested after a van was spotted in convoy with a car stolen from Dordon.
Officers tracked the van to an industrial unit in Nuneaton and a short time later the stolen car showed up.
Analysis of seized mobile phones led officers to James Wright who was identified as the ringleader of the gang. He ran the operation from his house in Nuneaton where he arranged for the cars to be cloned before insuring them and then selling them to unsuspecting buyers.
Further phone analysis also led officers to Luke Griffiths who had helped to get the vehicles insured.
The investigation was carried out by the vehicle crime taskforce that was set up around that time to address an increase in vehicle crime in the county and across the region.
James Wright (top left), 38, of Cedar Road, Nuneaton was jailed after for four years and nine months after pleading guilty to conspiring to steal motor vehicles.
James Griffiths (bottom right), 30, of Barton Road, Nuneaton was jailed for four years and six months after pleading guilty to conspiring to steal motor vehicles.
Scott Prosser (top right), 53, of Waverley Avenue, Nuneaton was jailed for three years after being found guilty of conspiring to steal motor vehicles.
Luke Griffiths (bottom left), 31, of Hillcrest Road, Nuneaton was jailed for three years and one month after pleading guilty to conspiring to steal motor vehicles.