Federal authorities have sentenced a Charlotte man to more than eight years in prison for leading an interstate scheme that took hundreds of thousands in luxury cars, with prosecutors saying the operation stretched across many states and involved sophisticated tactics to steal and re-sell high-end vehicles.

Hosea Fernandez Hampton, 27, of Charlotte, received a 97-month federal prison sentence and was ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his term. The sentencing follows guilty pleas to conspiracy to transport, possess, and sell stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and to possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson described the network bluntly: “This was a sophisticated car-stealing operation by professional criminals across multiple states,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. Prosecutors say Hampton was a leader who organized thefts, picked target dealerships, recruited drivers to move the stolen vehicles, and paid those drivers for their roles.

• Dewanne Lamar White was sentenced to 108 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release; he also pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
• Kevin Ja’Coryen James Fields was sentenced to 96 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release; he also pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.
• Reginald Eugene Hill was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
• Garyka Vaughn Bost was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.

According to court filings, the conspiracy operated from 2021 to 2023 and reached dealerships in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Arizona. Prosecutors say the ring stole more than 100 high-end vehicles overall, and during Hampton’s participation conspirators stole at least 82 vehicles worth nearly $5.9 million.

Federal filings detail how the group targeted luxury makes to maximize resale value, focusing on brands like Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Land Rover, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz, as well as expensive models from Chevrolet, Dodge, and Ford. The defendants often posed as prospective buyers to case lots and get access to keys without arousing suspicion before taking action.

Investigators say the crew used several methods to steal vehicles. Sometimes they swapped dealership key fobs for lookalikes during test drives or inspections, then returned later to take cars with the matching fobs. Other incidents included smash-and-grab break-ins, forcing open key lockboxes, or stealing multiple cars at once from the same lot.

Once vehicles were taken, the defendants took steps to obscure their tracks, cutting out GPS and navigation hardware, fitting fake or stolen license plates, and altering or replacing Vehicle Identification Numbers. Stolen cars were frequently shipped back to Charlotte and sold locally well below market price to move them quickly and avoid scrutiny.

Hampton is alleged to have not only organized dozens of the thefts but to have had possession of and sold many of the stolen cars himself. The scheme also involved dangerous behavior; prosecutors say participants fled from police at high speeds in stolen vehicles and that firearms were present during some incidents.

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One reported stop occurred in Flagler, Florida, where Hampton was driving a blue 2018 BMW M5 taken from a Wilmington, North Carolina dealership. Officers searching the car reportedly found multiple key fobs and a Glock 19X tucked under the driver’s seat, evidence prosecutors cited at sentencing.

Hampton is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the Federal Bureau of Prisons after housing is designated. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, the York County, South Carolina Sheriff’s Office, and other state and local partners.

The prosecution of the case in Charlotte is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bozin and Daniel Ryan, who brought the federal charges and guided the matter through plea and sentencing stages. The sentences imposed on Hampton and his co-defendants reflect federal courts’ assessment of leadership, scope, and threats to public safety posed by the operation.