A Tuscaloosa man has been sentenced for his involvement in a scheme to steal over $800,000 worth of high-end motor vehicles. U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona announced the sentencing of Jamarus D. Hoskins, 30, from Greensboro, Alabama.
U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Hoskins to 60 months in prison for conspiring to steal at least 18 high-end motor vehicles and an additional 97 months for receiving or possessing stolen vehicles. These sentences will run concurrently following his conviction by a jury in November 2024.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that between December 2020 and January 2023, Hoskins led an organized conspiracy targeting private citizens and car dealerships across the United States. The group was involved in stealing vehicles and altering their Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) with fake ones. These altered vehicles were then registered with fraudulent out-of-state titles through the Alabama Department of Revenue and sold below market value.
Among the stolen vehicles were a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk from Michigan, a Chevrolet Corvette from Tennessee, three Ford trucks from a Tennessee dealership, and a Chevrolet Camaro along with several vehicle tags from another dealership in Tennessee.
"Jamarus Hoskins and his co-conspirators terrorized car dealerships and innocent victims across the United States for years," stated U.S. Attorney Escalona. "Hoskins and his crew thought the fast cars they stole and sophisticated techniques they used would help them escape responsibility for their crimes. They were wrong."
David R. Fitzgibbons, Special Agent in Charge of the Birmingham Division, praised the collaborative efforts leading to this outcome: "I am extremely proud of the collaborative effort our team put forth to ensure this defendant was brought to justice and can no longer terrorize or threaten the hardworking citizens and businesses in our country."
The FBI conducted an investigation into this case alongside the Tuscaloosa Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittney L. Plyler and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward “Ted” Canter handled prosecution duties.
