Authorities arrested the suspected ringleader of a car theft group that operated between Sacramento and Seattle, with a focus on stealing modern American muscle cars. The suspect was apprehended in Oregon and has been arraigned in a Portland court on 16 counts, including armed robbery, theft, and possession of stolen vehicles.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the car-theft ring would offer individuals a few hundred dollars for what they called a “drop,” which is simply information on the whereabouts of Dodge Chargers, Dodge Challengers, Chevrolet Camaros, and Corvettes.
According to the affidavit, once the group received the information, they would quickly locate the car and use inexpensive electronic devices to circumvent the key fob or key within a matter of minutes. The stolen vehicle would then be sold on various social media platforms, as per the accusations made by prosecutors.
During his initial appearance in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Aric Wade Adams of Central Point pleaded not guilty to the charges listed in the indictment.
According to the indictment, Diplomat Motors, a Troutdale dealership, was the target of theft in March and April. The alleged crimes involved stealing cars.
Deputy District Attorney Cody Linderholm confirmed that Adams was taken into custody at his residence on Thursday following an arrest warrant, and subsequently brought back to Portland earlier this week.
According to the indictment, Adams is being accused of committing several crimes, including first-degree robbery with a firearm, second-degree robbery with a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon, unauthorized use of a vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, and first-degree theft. The charges are serious, and if found guilty, Adams could face severe consequences.
According to the affidavit, Adams was caught in messages where he referred to his career as “boosting” cars and made references to shootings that happened during car thefts.
Adams was brought to the attention of investigators by the community Facebook group, PDX Stolen Cars. The group had discovered a number of stolen cars in downtown Portland, including a Chevrolet Corvette worth $70,000 that had been stolen from Diplomat Motors’ dealership.
On March 24, the dealership reported that the car had been stolen. However, a subsequent examination of Adams’ Instagram account, which goes by the handle “big.chubbss,” revealed that he had listed the Corvette for sale at $6,000. Prosecutors also found a video on his social media of the stolen Corvette, still sporting the Diplomat placard.
In the early hours of March 26, a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro was reported stolen from a residence in Portland. During the incident, a girl in the house heard the family dogs barking and saw several individuals breaking into her brother’s car. The father also witnessed the theft and had a brief verbal interaction with the thieves. One of the perpetrators even pointed a green laser at the father’s chest, leaving him fearful of being shot.
According to the affidavit, investigators discovered a message on Adams’ Instagram account which stated, “All I know is he had the beam of my Glock on his face and he froze up when he came outside.” Additionally, Adams’ social media contained images of the Camaro and an attempt to sell it.
Around 11:30 a.m. on April 8, a unique 2015 Dodge Challenger with Oregon Ducks decals on the hood, roof, and doors was stolen from a hotel parking lot off of Northeast Second Avenue. The car, which was valued at approximately $60,000, was later found by Washington County sheriff’s deputies on April 13.
Upon reviewing Adams’ text messages, it was discovered that he had been bragging about stealing the Challenger. In one message, he wrote, “Bruh pppd (sic) was just behind me and I was in a neon green str(i)ker,” using “striker” as a slang term for a stolen car, as noted in the affidavit.
According to the affidavit, he confessed to stealing the “HellQuack” in an audio message to someone and even boasted on Instagram, saying “I took that (expletive) with no mask… We destroyed that car and then I sold it.”
According to the affidavit, it is alleged that Adams engaged in the trading of a stolen Corvette for an AR-10 firearm with another user on Instagram.
The Auto Theft Task Force of the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office has been collaborating with law enforcement in Oregon, California, and Washington to investigate the case, alongside the county sheriff’s deputies.
According to court records, they are still in the process of identifying potential accomplices.
After reviewing a probable cause affidavit and a prosecutor’s motion for preventative detention, Circuit Judge Bryan Francesconi ordered Adams to be held.
Adams’ defense lawyer, Elizabeth Wolozin, made an argument in court on Friday that the state had no corroborating evidence to place Adams at the scene of the stolen cars, apart from his Instagram posts. However, her argument was unsuccessful.
His next court appearance is scheduled for next week.
