SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. (1010 WINS) — Thirteen alleged gang members accused of breaking into vehicles, stealing credit cards and occasionally cars across Long Island were indicted on Tuesday, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney announced.
A long-term investigation tracked the pattern of break-ins of high-end cars and stolen credit cards throughout Suffolk County from February 2023 through August 2024. Nine people were arrested Monday and 13 were indicted in the scheme, prosecutors said.
The 13 suspects, nearly all in their 20s, are alleged members of the Hempstead and Freeport-based “CC Boyz” or “5-L” gang.
“5L or the CC Boyz. CC Boyz is an abbreviation that members of and associates of the gang used for ‘car check,’ meaning they would break into and steal cars,” Tierney said. “They would first check to see what was inside the cars.”
The suspects are charged with breaking into 52 vehicles, stealing 15 of them and taking 75 credit cards, prosecutors said.
Over $40,000 in fraudulent purchases were made on the cards, and prosecutors allege that the thieves would make early morning purchases before the owners of the credit cards realized their property was missing.
Officials said that several of the suspect were also engaging in a phishing scheme which involved them phishing for bank account access, changing account addresses, having debit cards mailed to accomplices and withdrawing over $50,000 from victim’s accounts.
Prosecutors said that the suspects would use real estate apps to target areas with pricey homes, where they believed victims would be more inclined to leave their cars unlocked or wallets and car keys inside. They also allegedly targeted locations like assisted living homes, golf courses, high-end gyms and hotels.
If they could not easily enter a vehicle, Tierney said that in some instances the suspects would use a brick or emergency window-breaking tool to get inside.
A search of two defendants’ Suffolk County residences led law enforcement to recover several cell phones and a trove of stolen property including key fobs, driver’s licenses, credit and debit cards, checkbooks, passports and social security cards.
“Through meticulous investigation and collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we’ve dismantled a sophisticated criminal operation that targeted neighborhoods throughout our county,” Tierney said. “Let it be clear—in Suffolk County, you cannot steal other people’s property with impunity.”
The district attorney emphasized the importance of bail reform, stating that under current law, many of the suspects had to be released.