SCARLET Task Force Addressing Luxury Auto Theft

Published on September 07, 2023

SCARLET Task Force Addressing Luxury Auto Theft

More than 500 felony charges filed over four months of work by CMPD & partner agencies

Charlotte, N.C. – (Thursday, September 7, 2023) – Today, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) is highlighting the success of an ongoing multi-agency task force cracking down on luxury vehicle thefts.

CMPD formed SCARLET (Stolen Car And Recovery Law Enforcement Team) in April of 2023 to address an increasing trend of luxury vehicle thefts from car dealerships and private residences. CMPD was also recovering high-end vehicles in Charlotte that were originally stolen from outside jurisdictions at a much higher rate.

Within four months, detectives collaborated with approximately 50 different local agencies spanning across 11 states, as well as a few federal agencies that had been working on similar cases for several years.

Since April, this collaboration has led to the recovery of 132 stolen motor vehicles with an approximate value of $11.5 million dollars. A total of 500 state felony charges have been filed on numerous suspects.

In addition, CMPD detectives have written more than 70 search warrants related to SCARLET investigations and have seized approximately $210,000 in cash, 82 firearms (8 stolen), a large amount of narcotics and numerous other illegal items.

Five suspects have been federally indicted on charges related to SCARLET investigations far. Those names are listed (below).

Active Federal Indictments

• Reginald Hill (DOB 08/14/1999)
• Hosea Hampton (DOB 08/04/1998)
• Dewanne White (DOB 09/04/1979)
• Ja’Coryen Fields (DOB 12/07/1998)
• Garyka Bost (DOB 02/09/1996)

“There is still much more to be done with this investigation,” said Lieutenant Warith Muhammad during today’s press conference. “However, CMPD is incredibly proud of the work, diligence, and dedication that went into identifying a problem and working tirelessly to solve that problem.”

The success of SCARLET is attributed to the collaboration between all the internal and external partners involved. CMPD would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau for their efforts.

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