Washington D.C. FBI National Press Office FBI Director Louis J. Freeh announced today that over 100 persons are being charged in 18 cities from coast to coast in a large-scale law enforcement operation targeting cargo theft that includes theft of computers and other high technology equipment. Freeh said 104 persons are being charged or arrested in the FBI's Albany, Birmingham, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbia, Dallas, Detroit, Jackson, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Newark, New York City, San Francisco, Tampa, and Washington, D.C., field offices relating to cargo theft. The first phase of Sudden Stop occurred April 27, when more than 200 persons in 22 cities were charged in a nationwide crackdown on criminal organizations stealing motor vehicles. Sixteen persons in Houston, New Orleans, New York and Mobile were also charged with motor vehicle thefts stemming from the initial phase of Operation Sudden Stop. Operation Sudden Stop is being carried out by large numbers of task forces which are composed of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and a large number of United States Attorneys and local prosecutors, according to Assistant FBI Director Thomas J. Pickard of the Criminal Investigative Division.
Penalties are often relatively light and the potential for illegal profits is huge.
Motor vehicle theft continues to be a major crime problem. The April 27 arrests on motor theft charges were carried out in Cleveland, Columbia, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Mobile, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Juan, Springfield, St. Louis, and Tampa. Today's arrests are a continuation of that initial effort.