Ford Worker Accused of Stealing Millions of Dollars Worth of Parts from Plants
Four individuals have been charged in a theft ring that allegedly saw millions in car parts lifted from several Michigan Ford factories, and one of them was a Ford employee.
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Dearborn police say they've uncovered a scheme involving Ford-manufactured parts and accessories. After a monthslong investigation, authorities arrested the men for allegedly stealing Ford vehicle parts – and it wasn't something easily snuck out of a building.
The accusations say that the thieves took everything from headlights and assemblies to larger items like bumpers, hoods and running boards. Investigators say the parts were lifted from the Flat Rock Assembly, Michigan Assembly, and the Dearborn Truck Plant – factories which build popular models like the F-150, Mustang and Ranger.
Reports say the employee referenced would take the stolen parts to Detroit auto shops where they'd then be sold on eBay. Searches of the alleged thieves' homes also yielded what was described as floor to ceiling stacks of brand-new auto parts.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Ford's security team has been assisting in the investigation, although it's not yet clear how the alleged perpetrators were able to move such large parts out of so many different locations without being detected sooner.
Carscoops reports that charges are still pending, but there are a bevy of options for what they might include, such as racketeering, grand theft auto and running a criminal enterprise.
Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin said that criminal plots such as this one 'will not be tolerated in Dearborn' and that the police department would 'employ all resources to bring them down.'
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