Philadelphia police bust 2 car theft rings targeting Hondas | Exclusive

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police say 14 people have been arrested in connection with two separate investigations into Honda thefts in the city and surrounding areas.

Action News first reported on the uptick in Honda thefts in March.

Police say of the 3,497 cars stolen in the city this year, 923 are Hondas. They also say 780 of the 923 stolen Hondas are 2018 or newer models.

On Wednesday, Action News reporter Caroline Goggin sat down for an exclusive interview with members of the Philadelphia Police Department's Major Crimes Unit to learn more about their efforts to round up the car thieves.

Captain Robert McKeever, the commanding officer of the unit, outlined both investigations. The first started in August 2025.

During a car stop in Northwest Philadelphia, McKeever said an officer found three car titles from South Carolina that raised suspicions.

After finding out the titles were fake, Philadelphia police reached out to Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office to launch an investigation.

"We found out it was a lot broader than expected," Captain McKeever told Action News.

"This organized group would go out and steal a car, mainly Honda CR-Vs. They would get a VIN number from another Honda CR-V on the internet, from another state, swap out the VIN numbers, and put it for sale on Facebook Marketplace or another social media outlet."

Chad Gugger, a detective with the Philadelphia Police Major Crimes Unit, worked on the investigation.

He said once the cars were posted on social media, "People, not knowing, would be on there trying to buy a good car, and would see them for a cheaper price."

According to Gugger, people would then travel to Philadelphia to buy a Honda at a major discount, unaware the car was stolen.

For example, Gugger said a stolen 2026 Honda was recently sold on social media for just $19,000.

Police have identified 10 people involved in this extensive car theft ring, which they refer to as a family organization.

"Mom, dad, daughter, and son were involved in that," McKeever said.

The ring was based in Northwest Philadelphia.

So far, eight of the 10 suspects have been arrested. They will be charged with stealing at least 50 cars.

Captain McKeever said that it's up to $1.6 million in stolen cars and fraud. "They defrauded these people out of their money," he added.

He said police are still investigating and believe this ring possibly stole 150 additional vehicles.

Police say the investigation into the second car theft ring started almost two years ago in May 2024.

Police call it a Dominican car theft ring focused on stealing Honda parts.

Last week, they recovered numerous parts after executing search warrants at six locations.

"We had a couple of locations where we found numerous dashboards, numerous airbags, engines, anything that was identifiable, and all Honda parts," McKeever said.

Because of this multi-state investigation, police identified 11 men involved in the ring. So far, six have been taken into custody. Police are searching for the five others.

In total, they estimate the group stole $4.6 million worth of Honda parts.

John O'Hanlon is an officer with the Philadelphia Police Major Crimes Unit. He worked on the investigation. He said this group mainly targeted newer Honda models, ranging from 2018 to 2026.

"They'll have individuals go out and scout for these vehicles and look for these Hondas. They'll steal the Hondas. They'll transport the Hondas to certain locations or chop shops, garages, or warehouses," O'Hanlon said.

"They'll have individuals there disassemble these vehicles for parts. They'll distribute these parts within the United States, and they'll also export these parts outside of the United States."

O'Hanlon said this particular group has been tied to 139 jobs, but he believes they could be responsible for close to a thousand jobs.

The investigation into this ring is also ongoing.

Philadelphia police are warning Honda owners to be aware. They are sharing tips with the public.

Police also have a warning for anyone who recently bought a Honda on social media. They say if the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. They are urging people to go to their local police station to get their car checked out.