A joint operation early Thursday morning, December 12, 2024, by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office’s Enterprise and Major Crimes Division (EMCD), the Massachusetts State Police (MSP), and Brockton Police Department (BPD) resulted in the execution of search warrants at 12 locations, including 11 residences and a garage, in Brockton, Fall River, and North Easton and the arraignments of 12 individuals suspected in participating in a high end car theft enterprise. One individual related to this investigation has an outstanding warrant and had not yet been arrested as of December 16, 2024.
During the takedown, investigators seized firearms, large-capacity magazines, ammunition, and various threads of evidence tying the individuals to their alleged crimes, including key fobs, key programming devices, and clothing.
“Operation Hellcat” was a year-long investigation involving 38 local and federal law enforcement agencies. Throughout the course of the investigation, individuals were identified as participants in high end car thefts totaling more than $2.6 million. Through the collective investigation, 63 stolen vehicles can be attributed to the theft organization.
Investigators established a pattern of conduct for the suspects that began as early as June 2023 and continued until as recently as December 2024. Investigators believe these individuals worked in groups of two to ten to coordinate thefts at dealerships throughout the Commonwealth and surrounding states. The group allegedly used Autel programming devices that allow users to take a blank key fob and create a fully functioning key for the vehicle. After breaking into the vehicles, the suspects connected the Autel device into the vehicle, allowing them to create a new key fob within minutes.
Investigators also learned that several suspects had ordered firearm parts including selector switches, which are conversion devices that are designed for the sole purpose of converting semi-automatic Glock style firearms into fully automatic machine guns, online.
The warrants were executed simultaneously by more than 200 members of law enforcement.
The following suspects were arrested and arraigned in Brockton District Court, unless otherwise noted:
- James Senat, 19, of Brockton
- Possession of a machine gun, possession of a large capacity feeding device (2 counts), possession of a firearm without a License To Carry (LTC), possession of ammunition without a LTC, breaking and entering a motor vehicle at night (4 counts), receiving a stolen motor vehicle
- Bail: $100,000
- Andrick Semedo, 20, of Brockton
- Possession of ammunition without a LTC
- Andrick Semedo also has a warrant out of Fall River District Court for breaking and entering and motor vehicle at night (2 counts) and receiving a stolen motor vehicle (3 counts)
- Bail: $50,000
- Bail was revoked on previous charges related to receiving a stolen motor vehicle, disturbing the peace, and disorderly conduct.
- Paulo Semedo, 58, of Brockton
- Possession of a firearm without a LTC
- Bail: $1,000
- Kevin DaGraca, 18, of Brockton
- Possession of a large capacity feeding device (2 counts), possession of a firearm capable of accepting a large capacity feeding device, possession of ammunition without a LTC
- Bail: $50,000
- Jason Brito, 20, of Brockton
- Possession of a firearm without a LTC (2 counts), possession of ammunition without a LTC, possession of burglarious tools
- Brito also has warrants out of Natick District Court for breaking and entering a motor vehicle at night and conspiracy
- Bail: $50,000
- Nelshon Pires, 19, of Brockton
- Possession of burglarious tools and receiving a stolen motor vehicle (3 counts)
- Bail: $50,000
- Bail was revoked on previous charges related to receiving a stolen motor vehicle, receiving stolen property under $1,200, and possession of burglarious tools
- Jalen Clarke-Cox, 19, of Brockton
- Breaking and entering a motor vehicle at night (4 counts), receiving stolen property under $1,200, receiving stolen motor vehicle, possession of burglarious tools
- Bail: $5,000
- Derek Gaillot, 18, of Brockton
- Receiving a stolen motor vehicle (3 counts)
- Bail: $5,000
- Claudio Medina, 20, of Brockton
- Dudley District Court: Breaking and entering a motor vehicle at night, larceny over $1,200
- Medina also has three open matters related to this investigation out of Fall River District Court and Brockton District Court
- Bail: $5,000
- Jaydin Rodrigues, 20, of Brockton
- Fall River District Court: Receiving a stolen motor vehicle
- Released on his own recognizance
- Andy Gomes, 23, of Brockton
- Possession of burglarious tools (to be charged at a later date)
- Gomes was arrested on a warrant out of Stoughton District Court for unarmed robbery and larceny over $1,200
- Micaiah Taylor, 21, of North Easton
- Receiving a stolen motor vehicle (3 counts)
- Bail: $5,000
This case was handled by Assistant Attorney General Diana Fantasia and Intelligence Analyst Jill Bodreau of the Attorney General’s Office Enterprise and Major Crimes Division and Financial Investigator Sean Nagle of the Financial Investigations Division; the Massachusetts State Police's MACrimeNet Program, the Criminal Information Section, the Intelligence Services Unit, and Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction Enforcement Team (CINRET - South); and the Brockton Police Department.
This investigation would not be possible without the invaluable collaboration of the following 38 local and federal law enforcement agencies: Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General (AGO), Massachusetts State Police (MSP), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Acton Police Department (APD), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), Auburn Police Department (APD), Avon Police Department (APD), Brockton Police Department (BPD), Charlton Police Department (CPD), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Danvers Police Department (DPD), Dartmouth Police Department (DPD), Exeter - New Hampshire Police Department (EPD), Franklin Police Department (FPD), Hanover Police Department (HPD), Londonderry - New Hampshire Police Department (LPD), Lowell Police Department (LPD), Marion Police Department (MPD), Mendon Police Department (MPD), Manchester - New Hampshire Police Department (MPD), Natick Police Department (NPD), Nashua - New Hampshire Police Department (NPD), Norwood Police Department (NPD), Plymouth Police Department (PPD), Quincy Police Department (QPD), Ridgefield - Connecticut Police Department (RPD), Rockland Police Department (RPD), Salem - New Hampshire Police Department (SPD), Sharon Police Department (SPD), Somerset Police Department (SPD), Stonington - Connecticut Police Department (SPD), Stoughton Police Department (SPD), Taunton Police Department (TPD), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Westborough Police Department (WPD), West Bridgewater Police Department (WBPD), Whitman Police Department (WPD), Woburn Police Department (WPD).
Original source can be found here.