Seminole County crash helps expose $3 million luxury car theft ring

A stolen BMW that split in half after slamming a pole during a high-speed chase on I-4 in Seminole County helped expose a luxury car theft ring investigators say stole 33 vehicles worth more than $2 million and left victims facing nearly $3 million in losses.

Five men were arrested on racketeering charges: D’Mawuko Fugar, 19, of Orlando; Edrick Tyrone Bush, 18, of Hallandale Beach; Damon Damascus Kelson Jr., 19, of Fort Lauderdale; Marvin Tyrone Brooks III, 18, of Fort Lauderdale; and Chadd Arthur Thomason, 34, of Kissimmee. The investigation stretched nearly a year and a half, tying together thefts across multiple counties, including Seminole, Orange and Brevard.

Deputies said the group targeted high-end vehicles, including BMWs, Range Rovers, G-wagons, Lamborghinis and Ferraris. In many cases, investigators said, the cars were taken without a dramatic break-in. Detectives say suspects tested door handles, entered unlocked vehicles and, at times, took advantage of keys left inside. In other cases, authorities said, suspects followed victims home and slipped into garages before doors fully closed.

One of the most visible losses was a blue-and-orange 2021 Lamborghini stolen in November 2024 from a Lake Nona neighborhood and later recovered in Brevard County by Rockledge police. Deputies said Fugar used a gray 2024 Tesla Model 3 registered to a family member as a primary vehicle to case neighborhoods and move suspects around. Cellphone data allegedly placed him at or near nearly every documented crime scene.

Investigators said the group also loaded stolen vehicles onto tow trucks and moved them out of state for resale. WFTV reported that the suspects spent money found inside the cars, and authorities said credit cards taken from victims were sometimes used as the operation continued. Prosecutors are treating the case as more than a string of car thefts because the ring allegedly kept operating even after some arrests and bond releases.

The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office City County Auto Theft Bureau says it investigates motor vehicle theft, VIN switching, title fraud, insurance fraud, interstate transportation of stolen vehicles and organized criminal enterprises. That focus matters for Seminole County homeowners and drivers alike: investigators said many of the losses could have been prevented if vehicles had been locked and keys removed. After the crash on I-4, the case became a regional warning that a careless night in a driveway or garage can feed a theft pipeline stretching far beyond one neighborhood.