MONROE — Three Monroe men were arrested Thursday as part of what officials are calling a well-organized chop shop, where stolen vehicles are broken down into parts and sold.
The Snohomish County Auto Theft Task Force searched two locations in Monroe recovering seven stolen vehicles, multiple stolen vehicle parts, four engines and one transmission, sheriff’s Lt. Brent Speyer said.
The raids were part of an ongoing nine-month investigation, Speyer said.
One man, 20, was jailed for investigation of 13 felonies. The second man, also 20, was booked for investigation of 11 felonies and the third man, 21, was placed behind bars for investigation of seven felonies.
“This (investigation) put an organized theft ring out of business and is a good example of the various types of criminal activity that is impacted when law enforcement focuses on criminals who steal vehicles and traffic in stolen vehicle parts,” Speyer said.
Monroe police, troopers from the Washington State Patrol and Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies took part in the morning raids.
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