Former Ford employee ran criminal operation involving car parts stolen off the assembly line, police say

Dearborn police arrest former Ford worker over stolen car parts

A former employee of Ford Motor Company is accused of taking millions of dollars in new car parts right off the line. An investigation by Dearborn Police found the alleged thefts going on for more than two years, stretching from plants in Wayne, Dearborn, and Flat Rock.

DEARBORN, Mich. (FOX 2) - Grand theft auto, racketeering, and operating a criminal enterprise are all charges that are on the table in an investigation into stolen car parts from Ford factories.

The payday was big for those involved, which included stealing items right off the assembly line. That is, until Dearborn police tracked down the offenders.

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A former employee of Ford Motor Company is accused of taking millions of dollars in new car parts right off the line.

An investigation by Dearborn Police found the alleged thefts going on for more than two years, stretching from plants in Wayne, Dearborn, and Flat Rock.

According to police chief Issa Shahin, he would steal the parts from an assembly plant, take them to a third-party auto shop, where they would sell them on eBay.

That includes a facility located off of West Chicago where stolen car parts were stored and sold. The stolen car parts included new hoods, taillights, and bumpers.

"When we executed a search warrant at one of the shops in Detroit, from the floor to the ceiling it was stacked with brand-new auto parts," said the police chief. 

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The exact details of the investigation remain under wraps, including how the criminal activity unraveled. 

But the sites where the alleged criminal enterprise took place are now closed. Shahin said they're "working with all of our partners to see if we can shut them down permanently."

Among those that assisted was Ford, whose global investigations team worked hand-in-hand with the department.

While charges are still pending, the potential counts the suspects face include Grand Theft Auto, running a criminal enterprise, and racketeering.  Every suspect is in custody, however.