KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. –
An abandoned license plate found on a rural Kenosha County highway in 2022 has unraveled what officials say was a highly sophisticated, multi-million-dollar interstate car theft and money laundering operation. The Kenosha County Drug Operations Group (KDOG), working in collaboration with federal and local partners, has helped bring federal charges against 23 individuals, the Sheriff’s Department announced Wednesday.

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Kenosha County Sheriff David Zoerner credited his detectives’ persistence in tracing the origins of the plate to a stolen vehicle out of Milwaukee. That single lead turned into a sweeping investigation spanning multiple states over the past three years.

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Search warrants executed in Wisconsin cities including Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse—as well as in Chicago—led to the identification of key suspects: Diaunte Shields, Casha Griffin, Brianna Shields, Lashawn Davis Jr., and Meliek McClarn. They are among 23 individuals federally indicted in connection with the scheme.

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Authorities say the suspects used professional-grade scanning and cloning equipment to steal high-end vehicles from residences and from Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee. The vehicles were altered—VIN plates and radios swapped—before being sold below market value across the country, from Georgia and Florida to as far west as Las Vegas.

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Investigators say the illicit proceeds were funneled through fake LLCs and used to buy and sell real estate in a deliberate effort to launder the money.

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In addition to four stolen vehicles, law enforcement recovered a stolen firearm from Detroit, cash, cloned credit card devices, hundreds of fake vehicle titles, counterfeit VIN plates, and stolen luxury clothing and jewelry.

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Detectives also uncovered a drug connection in Whitestown, Indiana, tied to large-scale heroin and methamphetamine distribution.

The case drew support from the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, and local law enforcement agencies in Milwaukee County, Sun Prairie, and Wheaton, Illinois.

“The fact that a recovered license plate in Kenosha County ultimately led to the federal indictments of 23 individuals is truly impressive,” Sheriff Zoerner said. “I am proud of the fact that KDOG detectives identified key members, executed search warrants, and gathered crucial evidence of this crime ring.”

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