Louisiana Man Receives Sentence for Coordinated Multi-State Vehicle Theft Operation
A Louisiana man has been sentenced to 115 months in federal prison for his role in a multi-state vehicle theft operation. Christopher Don Byerley, 45, from Broussard, Louisiana, faced serious charges, including conspiracy to transport a stolen motor vehicle and altering, removing, or obliterating a vehicle identification number (VIN).
U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson handed down the sentence after Byerley was convicted on multiple counts. In addition to the conspiracy charges, he was also found guilty of possessing fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, having an unregistered silencer, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
The court mandated that Byerley serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and ordered him to pay restitution amounting to $127,000 to the victims of his crimes.
According to Byerley’s admissions during his guilty plea, he and his co-conspirators—Robert Gregory Brazell, Adrienne Marie King, and Dennis Loyd Sizemore—conducted a sophisticated operation from October 2021 to March 2022. This scheme spanned multiple states, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas. The group was involved in stealing and subsequently using or selling various stolen and altered vehicles, such as tractors, excavators, forklifts, and a pickup truck, with a total estimated value exceeding $250,000.
The conspiracy was marked by extensive tampering with Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) to obscure the identities of the stolen vehicles. The group operated a chop shop, created fraudulent documentation, and established false business fronts, including one named “Hevyquip L.L.C.,” to facilitate the sale of stolen equipment. Additionally, they possessed over 400 identities and access devices, which they used to further conceal their illicit activities.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lyman E. Thornton III and M. Patricia Jones, highlighting the serious nature of vehicle theft and the lengths to which criminals will go to exploit the system.
Source: Middle District of Louisiana
Interested in Auto?
Get automatic alerts for this topic.
A Louisiana man has been sentenced to 115 months in federal prison for his role in a multi-state vehicle theft operation. Christopher Don Byerley, 45, from Broussard, Louisiana, faced serious charges, including conspiracy to transport a stolen motor vehicle and altering, removing, or obliterating a vehicle identification number (VIN).
U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson handed down the sentence after Byerley was convicted on multiple counts. In addition to the conspiracy charges, he was also found guilty of possessing fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, having an unregistered silencer, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
The court mandated that Byerley serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and ordered him to pay restitution amounting to $127,000 to the victims of his crimes.
According to Byerley’s admissions during his guilty plea, he and his co-conspirators—Robert Gregory Brazell, Adrienne Marie King, and Dennis Loyd Sizemore—conducted a sophisticated operation from October 2021 to March 2022. This scheme spanned multiple states, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas. The group was involved in stealing and subsequently using or selling various stolen and altered vehicles, such as tractors, excavators, forklifts, and a pickup truck, with a total estimated value exceeding $250,000.
The conspiracy was marked by extensive tampering with Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) to obscure the identities of the stolen vehicles. The group operated a chop shop, created fraudulent documentation, and established false business fronts, including one named “Hevyquip L.L.C.,” to facilitate the sale of stolen equipment. Additionally, they possessed over 400 identities and access devices, which they used to further conceal their illicit activities.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lyman E. Thornton III and M. Patricia Jones, highlighting the serious nature of vehicle theft and the lengths to which criminals will go to exploit the system.
Source: Middle District of Louisiana
Interested in Auto?
Get automatic alerts for this topic.
