A man in St. Louis has admitted to operating a "chop shop" that supported car thieves linked to a local gang. Jorge Alberto Luviano-Martinez, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of operating a chop shop on Cass Avenue in St. Louis.
Luviano-Martinez acknowledged his involvement with the "Big 5" gang, which included providing electronic keys for stolen vehicles and altering vehicle identification numbers (VINs). A court-approved search of the shop on June 10, 2024, revealed eight stolen vehicles, some with altered or removed VINs.
Before the search warrant was executed, Luviano-Martinez was seen leaving the property in a stolen Jeep and led police on a brief chase before being apprehended.
"Our investigation shut down two chop shops, disrupting a scheme in which gang members were able to easily profit from vehicle thefts," stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. He added that this should help reduce rising vehicle thefts across the region.
Luviano-Martinez, also known as "Charlie Cruz," is set for sentencing in August and faces up to 15 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine.
The case involves multiple agencies including the FBI, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, St. Louis County Police Department, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting.
The investigation was carried out by the St. Louis Gateway Strike Force under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which targets high-level criminal organizations using an intelligence-driven approach.
