Cincinnati Man Pleads Guilty To $1.5M Multi-State Car Theft Ring

Kahrese Tracey Scott Lee, a Cincinnati man, has pleaded guilty to operating a multi-state car theft ring and running a chop shop in Dayton, Ohio, which generated approximately $1.5 million between October 2023 and October 2024. Lee, also known by the aliases "Reese Lee" and "Bennett Jones," admitted to conspiring to transport stolen vehicles across state lines and disassembling stolen cars for parts resale or placement in other vehicles. In May 2024, his chop shop housed over $500,000 worth of stolen vehicles and parts. The scheme involved seven accused individuals and spanned Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, with Lee sometimes personally stealing vehicles or collaborating with others. Law enforcement thwarted Lee’s attempt to expand operations in Alabama and apprehended him after he tried to re-steal a tracked vehicle from an Indiana dealership. Lee faces up to 15 years in prison, with six other accomplices charged alongside him.