Five people — including four tow truck operators — were busted for towing cars off the street and selling them for scrap metal.
The 21 stolen vehicles ranged from a 1983 Oldsmobile Delta 88 to a 2008 Ford Econoline van, and brought the suspects $200 to $400 each, authorities said.
The five perps towed the cars to A&J Scrap Metal Processing LLC in Jamaica, Queens, between May 2010 and October 2010, said Queens DA Richard Brown.
The yard has a Web site that offers “instant ca$h for all vehicles and scrap” and promises to pay “on the spot!”
The suspects were identified as Francisco Adames, 40, of Freeport; Lawrence Bellino, 37, of Howard Beach, Queens; Jonathan Colon, 35, of Flushing, Queens; LePaul Gammons, of Catskills, and Michael Olivio, 42, of Richmond Hill, Queens.
All were charged with possession of stolen property and other charges. Gammons is also charged with grand larceny.
The suspects were to be arraigned today in Queens Criminal Court.
Police said the suspects cruised Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Suffolk County looking for cars to steal.
Brown said the scam was made easy by a state law that allows cars eight years old or older to be scrapped without proof of title.
“They simply show their driver’s license at the scrap yard, fill out a DMV form stating that they are the delivery agent or the vehicle’s owner and leave with cash in their pocket – and their victims without a ride,” Brown said.
NYPD Det. Michael Busso cracked the case by poring over DMV records of more than 4,000 vehicles that had been scrapped at the yard, said sources.
The probe was overseen by Capt. Joe Kenny, commanding officer of the NYPD’s auto crimes unit.