Three Charlotte men have been charged with federal offenses related to the theft and interstate transportation of luxury vehicles valued at over $5 million. The charges were announced by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, following the unsealing of a criminal indictment in federal court.
The individuals involved are Aquanzae Jamal Switzer, Da’Quante Antwone Banks, and Trajan Dakiel Mack, all residents of Charlotte. They face charges including conspiracy to transport, possess, and sell stolen vehicles in interstate commerce, possession of a stolen vehicle, and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.
“This multi-state automobile theft ring was organized and sophisticated,” stated U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Organized crime has no place in the Western District of North Carolina, and I am grateful to our law enforcement partners for disrupting this operation.”
The indictment outlines a scheme that took place between 2022 and April 2024, during which the defendants allegedly stole numerous high-end vehicles from various locations across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee. The targeted models included luxury brands such as BMW, Land Rover, Mercedez-Benz as well as high-performance models from Chevrolet, Ford, and Jeep.
The defendants reportedly used key fob programmers to steal multiple vehicles simultaneously—often at night—and collaborated with others who drove the stolen cars. To evade detection, they allegedly employed temporary or fictitious tags on these vehicles and altered their appearances soon after the thefts.
In some instances cited in the indictment, such as the theft of 12 vehicles from a dealership in Lillington, North Carolina, GPS systems were removed from the stolen cars to prevent tracking. It is also alleged that some stolen vehicles were sold below retail value while others were retained for personal use or furthering their criminal activities.
If convicted on conspiracy charges alone, each defendant faces up to five years in prison; additional charges could lead to sentences up to 10 years per count. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory considerations.
This case marks the sixth indictment since 2023 involving similar crimes filed in Charlotte’s U.S. District Court. Previous cases include conspiracies to steal luxury cars across state lines and schemes involving buying or selling stolen vehicles nationwide.
All defendants remain presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt within legal proceedings.
U.S Attorney Ferguson acknowledged contributions from various law enforcement agencies including Secret Service’s Charlotte Field Office led by Jason Byrnes; Chief Johnny Jennings’ CMPD team; FBI support alongside National Insurance Crime Bureau involvement plus Homeland Security Investigations aiding prior prosecutions efforts too!
Assistant U.S Attorneys William Bozin & Daniel Ryan will handle prosecution duties moving forward accordingly!
