NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – The NYPD arrested five migrants during a pre-dawn raid on a Bronx home on Monday, targeting a pattern of crimes by the suspects including citywide moped robbery sprees.
Police carried out a search at 2970 Bronx Park E. where the leader of the organized robbery spree lived and operated from.
Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny provided an update on Monday afternoon stating that they have been thoroughly investigating and linking together the moped theft cases. He highlighted that most of the victims were women and the mopeds involved in these crimes were stolen.
According to Kenny, there have been a total of 62 incidents across every borough except Staten Island, starting from December 2023 to the most recent on Feb. 4, 2024.
Kenny also said that the suspects are part of a group of migrants who recently arrived in the United States and are living in the migrant shelter system. The group is led by Victor Parra, 30, from Venezuela, who coordinates the thefts by sending out messages on WhatsApp specifying the type of phone he wants.
His message typically includes, "I have money. I’m available. Go get them." The "crime way" then begins with scooter operators making up to a hundred dollars a day and phone snatchers earning between $300 to $600 per day. The stolen phones are then delivered to Parra's residence in the Bronx.
At this location, Parra has a technician who hacks into the victims' phones, bank accounts and apps to make illegal purchases. After the accounts are put on hold, all phones are shipped to Colombia to be reprogrammed.
Of more than 10 identified suspects, seven have been arrested in connection with the moped thefts so far, and three are awaiting apprehension, while the leader, Parra, remains at large. Authorities found 22 stolen phones in the house during the operation, which led to five arrests.
Kenny emphasized that this surge in incidents, from only one reported moped theft case around this time last year to 62, underscores the significant increase in this crime pattern.
NYPD Police Commissioner Edward Caban addressed the recent surge in crime, stating, “A wave of migrant crime has washed over our city. By no means do the individuals committing these crimes represent the vast number of people coming to NY to build a better life. They are nonetheless preying on New Yorkers and making our city less safe.” He introduced the term “Ghost criminals” to describe migrants who elude detection due to their lack of criminal history, absence of photos or social media presence, and sometimes unclear names and dates of birth.
Mayor Eric Adams was with the NYPD during the raid.
"There are 172,000 migrants asylum seekers who are here," Adams said. "Overwhelmingly, many here just want the same thing our families want. But those who think they're going to come to our country, break our laws, assault our cops [...] use an organized method to commit crimes. It just can't happen. And it won't happen, not in New York City. This is not about migrants and asylum seekers, this is about breaking the law. It doesn’t matter where you are from, no matter who you are, if you break the law you are going to feel the full weight of this police department.”
An investigation is ongoing.
The raid comes as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is set to present the case involving migrants accused of attacking NYPD officers in Times Square, to a grand jury. Although the officers were unharmed, the incident, captured on video, sparked public outrage.
"Most migrants come to NYC in search of a better life,” NYPD Assistant Commissioner Kaz Daughtry wrote on X. “Sadly, some come to commit crime. Today we made tremendous progress in the largest robbery pattern plaguing our city. Our message is simple -- commit a crime in our city and we will find you and bring you to justice!"