A man in St. Louis has admitted to operating a "chop shop" that supported car thieves linked to a local gang. Jorge Alberto Luviano-Martinez, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of operating such an establishment on Cass Avenue in St. Louis.
Luviano-Martinez acknowledged that members of the gang "Big 5" discussed obtaining electronic keys for stolen vehicles from him and altering vehicle identification numbers (VINs) on these vehicles. During a court-approved search of the premises on June 10, 2024, investigators found eight stolen vehicles, with one having its VIN replaced and another with its VIN removed.
Before the search warrant was executed, Luviano-Martinez was seen leaving the property in a stolen Jeep and led police on a chase before being arrested after abandoning the vehicle.
"Our investigation shut down two chop shops, disrupting a scheme in which gang members were able to easily profit from vehicle thefts," stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. He added that this should help reduce rising vehicle thefts across the region.
Luviano-Martinez, also known as "Charlie Cruz," faces sentencing in August with potential penalties including up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case is being handled by multiple agencies including the FBI, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, St. Louis County Police Department, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting.
The investigation was led by the St. Louis Gateway Strike Force under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which aims to dismantle high-level criminal organizations through multi-agency efforts.