A Cuyahoga County grand jury has returned an indictment charging Makilin Wilson, 20, Rasheed Rountree, 21, Kyer Allen, 19, Dahmere Lymon, 19, Willie Hicks, 22, Ty’aun Williams, 20, Theon Avery, 20, Shaakir Maddox, 21, Arthur Robinson, 21, Laejuan Robinson, 18, and Cory Phillips, 18, on several charges including Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity for breaking into 26 car dealerships and stealing vehicles in Northeast Ohio.

“These 11 men operated a criminal organization that targeted multiple dealerships in 11 counties across Northeast Ohio,” said Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley. “Their crime spree caused significant damage to the dealerships they hit, the people they affected, and the communities surrounding them. I would like to personally thank the great efforts of the 34 law enforcement agencies that took this group out of commission.”

From November 2, 2022, to March 17, 2023, the defendants allegedly broke into 26 car dealerships and three apartment complexes in 27 cities in 11 counties and stole 86 vehicles with an estimated value of $5.1 million. There was a total of 32 incidents that occurred at 26 dealerships, some dealerships were broken into multiple times, and three additional incidents occurred at three different residential complexes.

In some instances, the defendants allegedly used the stolen vehicles to commit violent crimes, including an assault on a peace officer on January 5, 2023, and a drive-by shooting on February 14, 2023. Additionally, in some instances, the police officers responded to the scene at the car dealerships and the defendants led the officers on high-speed pursuits.

The investigation was conducted by 34 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.