FARMINGTON HILLS (WWJ) A Farmington Hills man was sentenced Friday to eight years for stealing recalled vehicles from the site of the former Pontiac Silverdome, U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison announced.
Romane Porter, 47, was convicted after a 13-day jury trial in April of conspiracy to transport stolen vehicles and transportation of stolen vehicles.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Michigan, trial evidence showed Porter conspired with a co-defendant and others to steal approximately 61 recalled Volkswagen and Audi vehicles from the Silverdome in 2017.
“This defendant orchestrated a large scale conspiracy to brazenly steal recalled vehicles and sell them across state lines," Ison said in the news release. “This sentence reflects the seriousness with which we address fraud, and the work done to achieve the result in this case further demonstrates the strong collaboration and coordination between our local and federal law enforcement partners.”
In addition to 8 years behind bars, he was also ordered to pay $683,080 in restitution and serve an extra three years of supervised release.
“These individuals were bold in their behavior in stealing such a large volume of vehicles from a well-known location. These criminals deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.
The FBI, Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Auto Theft Unit and Kentucky State Police all assisted in the investigation.
The Pontiac Silverdome, the former home of the Detroit Lions and Pistons, was imploded in December 2017— after the initial attempt at the implosion failed.