Charlotte is at the center of a high-end stolen vehicle operation, with recent court proceedings highlighting the extensive criminal activities involved. U.S. Attorney Dena J. King confirmed the guilty pleas of two key players in the conspiracy, which involved millions of dollars worth of luxury cars being unlawfully traded across state lines.
Andre Lamar Sumner, a 41-year-old Charlotte resident, and Erren Woodson, 40, also from Charlotte, entered their pleas admitting to a range of offenses including conspiracy to violate federal laws relating to the transportation and possession of stolen vehicles, altering vehicle identification numbers, and possession of a stolen vehicle, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina; these stolen vehicles were not just any autos—they were top-tier models from the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and even Rolls-Royce sourced from assorted states including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and New York.
Sumner, acting as a "fence" within this criminal network, dealt with buyers to offload the luxury vehicles at significantly reduced prices; this tactic was employed alongside the manipulation of VINs to disguise the cars' illegal origins and ease their illicit resale, as he "admitted in court today," per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
In complementary proceedings, Terrick D. Lumpkin, another Charlotte man aged 39, pleaded guilty to similar charges involving a separate theft ring with a cache of vehicles valued over $1 million including Audis, Cadillacs, Lamborghinis, and other luxury SUVs, many stolen directly from spots like the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Lumpkin, along with accomplices altered or removed VINs for cloaking their trail—yet another high-dollar heist foiled in the region.
All defendants are now out on bond awaiting sentencing where they face substantial prison time, up to 20 years for Sumner and Woodson, and up to 15 years for Lumpkin; these cases fit into a larger crackdown by the U.S. Attorney’s Office that has charged 11 individuals since August 2023, with nine pleading guilty to conspiracy related to high-end stolen vehicles.
