Fool him once, shame on him. Try to fool him twice, you’re going to jail.
A victim who had purchased a stolen car through Facebook Marketplace alerted police that he arranged a second purchase from the alleged fraudsters Friday, and a hastily arranged sting operation resulted in the arrest of two Staten Island men, Bayonne police Capt. Eric Amato said.
In fact, 23-year-olds Devonte A. Thomas and Justin I. Wright, both 23, were charged with the sale of four stolen vehicles in Bayonne dating back to Nov. 3, under the false names “Alazim Olasupo Odu” and “Alazim Odu.” The Bayonne Police Department believes there are more victims in the city and is asking them to come forward.
Thomas is charged with four counts of forgery, four counts of wrongful impersonation, four counts of receiving stolen property and a single count of obstructing a governmental function. Wright is charged with theft by deception, conspiracy and obstructing a governmental function.
Since late last year, Bayonne detectives have been investigating numerous incidents regarding the sale of stolen vehicles to unsuspecting buyers.
After being contacted by the victim, Bayonne police confirmed the vehicle was reported stolen out of Newark and they quickly responded to West 37th Street, the agreed upon location for the sale, Amato said. A plain clothes detective then approached the vehicle and waited for the sellers to approach him.
Shortly after, Thomas and Wright approached the detective and opened the vehicle using a key fob in Thomas’ possession, Amato said. When several detectives then approached the pair and identified themselves as police officers, Wright and Thomas fled, but they were quickly apprehended, Amato said.
A search led to the recovery of a U.S. passport bearing the name “Alazim Olasupo Odu” and a search of the stolen vehicle led to the recovery of a fraudulent New York State vehicle title bearing the same name.
The ensuing investigation led to the identification of Thomas as pulling off similar crimes on Nov. 3 (a stolen 2013 Infiniti was purchased for $5,150), Jan. 16 (a stolen 2019 Honda was purchased for $10,000) and Jan. 18 (a stolen 2020 Honda was purchased for $11,500).
Anyone who believes they may have been victimized by Thomas and Wright are asked to contact the Bayonne Police Detective Bureau at (201) 858-6925 and report the incident.
