In a collaborative effort to curb the rising street racing trend, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), along with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, carried out a targeted operation last Friday. Making use of an extensive team of law enforcement, over 40 personnel joined forces to address the risky behavior taking place on the streets of North Carolina.
As a result of concerted efforts by various CMPD units, a number of vehicles were discovered to be in violation of the state's street racing laws. "Through the work of multiple CMPD units, several vehicles were identified as violating the North Carolina street racing statute," the CMPD stated in a social media post. The operation saw the seizure of five high-value vehicles totaling over 1.5 million dollars, three of which have links to national illegal street racing groups.
The enforcement action led to the arrest of several individuals. Thomas Esposito, 33, Kassey Howeth, 44, and Kathrina Kava, 35, were apprehended for their participation in street racing activities. Moreover, two others, Michael Johnson Jr., 23, and Alexander Zavaleta, 25, were cited for their involvement in the illegal events. The vehicles confiscated include recent models of luxury sports cars such as a 2023 Lamborghini Huracan and a 2023 AUDI R8, as well as a 2021 Ford Mustang and a 2017 BMW 340XI.
The success of the multi-agency operation was celebrated by the CMPD, with gratitude expressed to the various departments that participated. "Thank you to SHP, the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office, CMPD’s Transportation Division, Aviation Unit, Real Time Crime Center, Communications Division, Crime Reduction Units and multiple other CMPD units for their help making this operation a huge success," shared the CMPD. Detailed information regarding the crackdown on street racing can be found in the department's report, numbered 20250628-0219-01 and 20250628-0314-00.
