The township police department has been cited by state Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin as one of three whose help resulted in four men being charged in an auto theft and home invasion ring.
In a 61-count indictment issued on Oct. 22, a state grand jury charged Tyree Payton, 25, and Jeremiah Lugo, 19, both from Clementon; Israel Ortiz, 23, of Sewell; and Sakie Smith, 30, with multiple local crimes that included home invasion burglary, conspiracy and auto and credit card theft, according to the attorney general.
“These defendants are charged with embarking on a brazen spree of car thefts, burglaries and other crimes,” Platkin said. “But this case is about more than car thefts – it’s about robbing people of their sense of security and safety.”
Platkin explained that the state is using recently enacted laws to charge individiduals who steal cars by breaking into homes to find key fobs.
The state reported that along with high-end luxury vehicles, thieves have also been charged with stealing credit cards, motorcycles, a scooter and even a trailer – “literally anything they could get their hands on,” noted New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice Director Theresa L. Hilton.
Along with the division and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, Platkin also recognized help from the Medford and Moorestown police departments in investigating the theft ring.
The defendants were charged in connection with a spate of motor-vehicle thefts and attempted thefts in several Burlington County towns and surrounding jurisdictions. In some cases, they allegedly targeted high-end vehicles parked in driveways that were typically left unlocked, and, in some cases, with keys inside, officials said.
Earlier this year – from March 15 to May 23 – 11 vehicles were stolen from residences, and the defendants allegedly attempted to steal four more. Among the crimes was the theft of a white 2019 Alfa Romeo from a home in Medford on April 23, including credit cards left inside, officials said.
Four days later, a 2024 BMW X4 was stolen from the driveway of a Moorestown home. While the defendants allegedly fled after the homeowner saw them, they returned moments later and allegedly took the BMW from the garage. One of them was said to be armed, according to police.
The defendants face sentences of 10 to 20 years in state prison and fines up to $200,000, five to 10 years in prison and fines up to $150,000 and three to five years in prison and fines up to $15,000. Lesser offenses carry a sentence of up to 18 months in prison and fines up to $10,000.
