MOBILE, AL – Three defendants were sentenced to 70 months, 63 months, and 46 months in prison, respectively, for participating in an interstate stolen vehicle-trafficking conspiracy and illegally possessing firearms.
According to court documents, Corey Dion Wallace, 33, and Javonte Althonse Andrew Mitchell, 31, both of Mobile, and Jason Emeal Robinson, 48, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to participating in an extensive conspiracy to transport stolen vehicles across state lines between July 2023 and June 2024. As part of the scheme, the defendants admitted obtaining and possessing stolen vehicles, many of which originated in the Atlanta area, and transporting them to Mobile. They altered the vehicles’ vehicle identification numbers (VINs), created fraudulent titles and bills of sale, and profited from the illegal sale of the stolen vehicles.
Law enforcement uncovered the scheme in September 2023 after a Mobile resident unknowingly purchased a 2023 Ford F-150 from the defendants’ coconspirators through Facebook Marketplace. The victim was unable to register the truck because its VIN had been altered. Investigators ultimately recovered 10 stolen vehicles with altered VINs linked to the conspiracy. The vehicles included newer, high-value models reported stolen by their original owners in Atlanta and elsewhere. The total value of the stolen vehicles and the resulting insurance losses to victims amounted to $308,054.88.
In January 2024, agents arrested Wallace and Mitchell in Mobile. At the time of their arrests, the defendants possessed four stolen vehicles: a 2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, a 2017 Ford F-250, a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, and a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe. Each vehicle displayed Alabama dealer tags associated with Wallace’s used-car dealership in Mobile.
Mitchell possessed a .300 Blackout rifle and admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a 2015 Mobile County conviction for attempted murder. Wallace possessed a 9mm pistol, which he attempted to discard in a trash can as agents moved to arrest him, as well as a second 9mm pistol found at his dealership. Wallace also admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior Mobile County felony convictions for cocaine possession in 2015 and receiving stolen property in 2018.
In June 2024, agents executed a search warrant at Wallace’s residence after discovering additional vehicles associated with the scheme advertised for sale on Facebook Marketplace. In the driveway, agents found a stolen 2019 Dodge Charger Scat Pack with an altered VIN and one of Wallace’s dealer tags. Inside the residence, agents seized two .40-caliber pistols, a .223/5.56-caliber pistol, $10,700 in cash, and documentary evidence related to the stolen vehicle scheme. Agents also seized and searched multiple cell phones and obtained data from iCloud accounts and social media records. The evidence revealed extensive communications and coordination among the defendants concerning the theft, transportation, and sale of stolen vehicles.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Wallace to 70 months in prison, Mitchell to 63 months, and Robinson to 46 months. Each defendant was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following imprisonment, subject to conditions that include drug testing and credit restrictions. The court did not impose fines but ordered the defendants to pay $308,054.88 in restitution to victims and a total of $700 in special assessments. The court also ordered the forfeiture of six firearms and $10,700 in seized cash to the United States.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Mobile Police Department, and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The Atlanta Police Department substantially assisted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.