Autel diagnostic device used by international car theft ring to steal vehicles

An Autel device was the key for an international car theft ring to steal vehicles in the Washington metropolitan area and Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris Pirro said during a press conference. 

Her office unsealed a 15-count indictment Wednesday that charged six individuals in connection with their roles in a conspiracy that allegedly stole at least 20 cars. 

“They don’t need keys and they don’t need hot wiring, no smashed windows, no drama,” Pirro said. “Just a sleek electronic device called an Autel.” 

She said that in under a minute, the car’s brain is rewritten. 

“The car is gone in 60 seconds,” She said. “Welcome to the new world of car theft.”

She said the tool was used to reprogram blank key fobs for Corvettes, Camaros and Honda Civics. She added that the GPS and Bluetooth were disconnected while still on the street. 

“But this isn’t joyriding,” Pirro said. “These are high-end vehicles that are then loaded on transport carriers headed to ports in Savannah and Baltimore.” 

The theft ring first moved the vehicles to spots to exchange plates, one of those spots being the parking garage of a Marriott in Maryland. The vehicles were then transported to shipping containers that were labeled for furniture. 

Eventually, the vehicles landed in Africa, where they were sold on the black market. 

Pirro said 20 vehicles estimating just under a million dollars, are a part of the indictments. She added that more than 100 vehicles and 30 more vehicles in Maryland, valued at up to $4 million, are being investigated as connected to the ring. 

A reporter in the crowd at the press conference told Pirro he was able to find an Autel device for $500 on Amazon. 

“I’m just wondering, do you think that there’s a need to have these devices regulated?” the reporter asked. 

Pirro responded, “I don’t think there’s any question.” 

She added that there should be some regulation on who can purchase on-board diagnostic II (OBD-II) devices, such as the Autel device, or registration of ownership. 

A press release about the indictments says the arrests happened after a year-long investigation 

Those charged are: 

• • Jacob Hernandez, 29, of Los Angeles
  • Dustin Wetzel, 23, of Woodbridge, Virginia
  • James Young, 23, of Hyattsville, Maryland
  • Khobe David, 24, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland
  • Chance Clark, 25, of Waldorf, Maryland.

Another defendant remains at large and is considered a fugitive, the release says. 

Each of the individuals is charged with conspiracy to possess, sell and transport stolen motor vehicles. 

Austin police also recently warned of diagnostic tools being used to steal vehicles, according to a local news station, KXAN. 

“During a recent Downtown Austin Alliance safety forum, officers shared concerns about thieves using onboard diagnostic, or OBD, tools — devices typically used by mechanics to service cars — to gain access to vehicle computer systems,” the article says. 

Media at the event were told that the technology is becoming easier to buy online.

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Photos provided by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris Pirro’s Office.