Dayton, Ohio – The lead defendant in a major stolen vehicle scheme has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, marking a turning point in the unraveling of a $1.5 million chop shop operation.
Kahrese Tracey Scott Lee, 28, of Cincinnati — also known by the aliases “Reese Lee” and “Bennett Jones” — admitted to conspiring to transport stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and to knowingly operating a chop shop. With this guilty plea, Lee now faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
According to court records, the conspiracy ran from at least October 2023 to October 2024. During this time, Lee worked with accomplices to orchestrate an elaborate interstate car theft ring. Operating out of a garage in Dayton, Lee’s chop shop received dozens of stolen vehicles. For example, just in May 2024, more than half a million dollars worth of stolen cars and car parts were moved through his operation.
Lee’s methods included disassembling stolen vehicles, removing valuable parts for resale, or placing those parts into other vehicles. He not only received stolen cars but also traded and sold them across state lines.
Multi-State Car Theft and Tracking Attempts
At times, Lee personally participated in thefts. In one incident, Lee and his associates traveled from Ohio to Indiana, where they stole three vehicles valued at over $200,000 from an auto lot. Their activities soon crossed into Alabama, where law enforcement caught up with them. Officers recovered the stolen vehicles in Alabama, where Lee had plans to open a new garage, and returned them to the Indiana dealership.
In a surprising twist, Lee and his group had placed a tracking device on one of the stolen cars, allowing them to monitor its location after recovery. Lee traveled back to Indiana, attempting to steal the same vehicle again — but this time, law enforcement was waiting. Lee was apprehended as he tried to carry out the second theft.
Federal Investigation and Guilty Plea
The case was led by Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cincinnati Division; and Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal. The guilty plea was officially entered on July 11 before Senior U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Painter are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
This plea marks a key step toward justice in a complex scheme that spanned multiple states and left behind a trail of stolen vehicles, altered parts, and financial damage.
