Two Sentenced for Transporting Stolen ‘Muscle’ Cars to ‘Street Takeovers’

One man from Baltimore and another from Philadelphia have been sentenced for their roles in transporting stolen motor vehicles as part of a scheme that also involved as many as eight other defendants.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Pennsylvania, reported that Nigel Criss and Rafael Otero Nieves were sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment and 84 months’ imprisonment, respectively.

In imposing the sentences, the judge noted the volume of vehicles stolen by Criss and Otero—more than two dozen each—and the supervisory roles each defendant played in the wide-ranging, multi-state conspiracy.

According to U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller, the two men and eight additional co-conspirators conspired with each other and others to transport stolen motor vehicles interstate and to receive, possess, conceal, store, sell, and dispose of stolen motor vehicles that had been transported interstate.

According to prosecutors, Criss, Otero, and their co-conspirators took the stolen vehicles—typically high-end, “muscle” type cars—across state lines to “car meetups” and “street takeovers,” at which the they would take over a parking lot, intersection, road, or portion of a highway. The vehicles were then shown off in person at the meetups and on social media and driven in a reckless and dangerous manner, such as drifting and “burning out” the vehicles.

The co-conspirators stole numerous vehicles across multiple states. For example, prosecutors said, on October 3, 2023, Criss, Otero, and other co-conspirators traveled to a car dealership in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, to steal two 2017 Cadillac CTS-V’s, a 2016 Cadillac CTS-V, two 2019 Cadillac CTS-V’s, a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro, a 2019 Chevrolet Camaro, and a 2019 Chevrolet Corvette.

Overall, 10 co-conspirators were charged in this case. Several have been sentenced, while the sentencing hearings for three Pennsylvania, four Maryland and one New Jersey defendants remain pending following guilty pleas.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police, Central and Eastern Auto Theft Task Forces investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle A. Moreno prosecuted the case.

Topics Fraud Numbers