The alleged leader of a car theft ring that ran from Sacramento to Seattle and targeted newer model American muscle cars was arrested in Oregon and arraigned in a Portland court on Friday. The 16-count indictment charges him with multiple charges of armed robbery, theft and possession of a stolen car.
The car-theft ring would pay people a few hundred dollars for a so-called “drop” — information on where to find Dodge Chargers, Dodge Challengers, Chevrolet Camaros and Corvettes, according to a probable cause affidavit.
After receiving such information, members of the group would go to the car’s location and use cheap electronic devices to bypass a car’s key fob or key to steal the vehicle within minutes, the affidavit said. The stolen car would then be sold using multiple social-media platforms, prosecutors allege.
Aric Wade Adams, of Central Point, entered not guilty pleas to the indictment during his first appearance in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
The alleged crimes occurred in March and April, and they included the theft of cars from the Troutdale dealership Diplomat Motors, according to the indictment.
Adams was arrested at his home on a warrant Thursday and returned to Portland this week, according to deputy district attorney Cody Linderholm.
The indictment charges Adams with one count of first-degree robbery with a firearm, two counts of second-degree robbery with a firearm, one count of unlawful use of a weapon, three counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle, four counts of possession of a stolen vehicle and four counts of first-degree theft.
Adams was caught on messages describing his career as “boosting” cars, and referencing shootings that occurred as cars were being stolen, according to the affidavit.
The community Facebook group PDX Stolen Cars tipped off investigators to Adams after locating several stolen cars in downtown Portland, including a Chevrolet Corvette valued at $70,000 that had been taken from the Diplomat Motors’ dealership.
The car was stolen from the dealership early on March 24. A later review of Adams’ Instagram account, called “big.chubbss,” revealed he had put the Corvette up for sale for $6,000, the affidavit said. His social media also contained a video of the stolen Corvette, still with a Diplomat placard on it, according to prosecutors.
Just after midnight on March 26, a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro was reported stolen from outside a Portland home. A girl in the home heard the family dogs barking and when she peered outside, she spotted multiple people breaking into her brother’s car, according to the affidavit. Her father looked out, had a brief verbal exchange with the thieves as one pointed a green laser at his chest, according to the affidavit. The father told police he believed he was going to be shot, the affidavit said.
Investigators found on Adams’ Instagram account a message that read, “All I know is he had the beam of my Glock on his face and he froze up when he came outside,” according to the affidavit. Adams’ social media account revealed an attempt to sell the Camaro with photos of the car, the affidavit said.
On April 8, a very distinct 2015 Dodge Challenger, with large Oregon Ducks decals on the hood, roof and doors, and valued at about $60,000, was stolen about 11:30 a.m. from a hotel parking lot off Northeast Second Avenue. Washington County sheriff’s deputies later recovered it on April 13.
A review of Adams’ text messages revealed that he had boasted about the Challenger’s theft. “Bruh pppd (sic) was just behind me and I was in a neon green str(i)ker,” the message read. Striker is slang for a stolen car, according to the affidavit.
He later sent someone an audio message, admitting to stealing the “HellQuack,” and wrote on Instagram, “Man, like when I grabbed that Hellquack ... I took that (expletive) with no mask. ... We destroyed that car and then I sold it,” according to the affidavit.
Investigators also allege that Adams traded a stolen Corvette for an AR-10 firearm with another Instagram user, according to the affidavit.
Investigators from the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office’s Auto Theft Task Force have been working on the case with county sheriff’s deputies and law enforcement in Oregon, California and Washington.
They are continuing to identify alleged accomplices, according to court records.
Circuit Judge Bryan Francesconi ordered Adams to be held after reviewing a probable cause affidavit and a prosecutor’s motion for preventative detention.
Elizabeth Wolozin, who stood in as Adams’ defense lawyer in court Friday, unsuccessfully argued that the state had no corroborating evidence that put him at the scene of the stolen cars beyond Adams’ Instagram posts.
He’s due back in court next week.
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