The last of four members of a crew that stole $1.5 million in luxury cars in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut has pleaded guilty in federal court.
Malik “Smack” Baker, 29, of the Vauxhall section of Union in Union County, stole 10 cars in the three states and hid them at a stash location on the 100 block of Ellis Avenue in Irvington, authorities said. The thieves then used the stolen cars to swipe other vehicles, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Jersey.
In New Jersey, Baker took part in theft of at least three vehicles in 2019 — a 2017 Maserati GranTurismo in Manalapan on Aug. 5, a 2014 Lexus GS in West Long Branch on Aug. 29 and 2017 BMW M4 in the Marlton section of Evesham on Sept. 7, officials said.
They used the Maserati GranTurismo to take a Range Rover and a Porsche Cayenne in New City, New York. When police tried to stop the Maserati, the driver sped up to 120 mph and crashed head-on into the patrol car, court papers state. The men then fled the scene in another stolen vehicle, authorities said.
Investigators were able to lift the fingerprints of another thief, Hakeem Smith, off the stolen Maserati and also found Baker’s DNA in the vehicle.
Authorities also found one of the stolen cars in a shipping container at a port in Newark before it could be sent to Ghana.
Members of the crew also stole cars in Hillsborough and Clifton, prosecutors previously said.
Other vehicles were stolen in New York state in New City, Hewlett Bay Park, Kensington, Orangeburg, and Quogue as well as in Greenwich, Connecticut, according to charging documents.
Baker pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and receiving a stolen vehicle that had crossed state lines after being stolen.
Baker’s partners —Newark residents Smith, Nafique Goodwyn, and Bilal Cureton — previously pleaded guilty. Smith was sentenced in April to three years, five months in federal prison. Sentencing is pending for Goodwyn and Cureton.
Baker is scheduled to be sentenced March 7.
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Jeff Goldman may be reached at [email protected].