Four men were indicted on 61 counts in an auto-theft and home-invasion ring tht included a vehicle stolen from Ventnor, Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced Friday. 

Tyree Payton, 25, of Clementon; Israel Ortiz, 23, of Sewell; Sakie Smith, 30, of Philadelphia, and Jeremiah Lugo, 19, of Clementon allegedly stole 11 vehicles within a little more than two months.

A grand jury indicted them last month on charges including home invasion burglary, conspiracy, auto theft, receiving stolen motor vehicles, burglary, credit card theft and other crimes.

“These defendants are charged with embarking on a brazen spree of car thefts, burglaries, and other crimes,” Platkin said. “But this case is about more than car thefts – it is about robbing people of their sense of security and safety. We are using recently enacted laws to charge criminals who invade homes to steal key fobs so that they can steal cars. Breaking into people’s homes to steal vehicles is not just a property crime. It’s a dangerous escalation and a violation of the security every resident deserves.”

The defendants are charged in connection with a spate of motor vehicle thefts and attempted thefts in several municipalities in Burlington County and surrounding jurisdictions. In some cases, the defendants allegedly targeted high-end vehicles – typically when they were left unlocked, and, at times, with the keys left in the vehicle – that were parked in driveways.

“In addition to stealing high-end luxury vehicles, these defendants are charged with stealing credit cards, motorcycles, a scooter, a trailer – literally anything they could get their hands on,” DCJ Director Theresa L. Hilton said. “The charges we are announcing today are serious, and these defendants will be held accountable for their alleged crimes.”

The group made their way to Atlantic County at some point, allegedly taking a vehicle from Ventnor. The exact location was not released.

The 2019 Mercedes-Benz was unlocked with the keys inside when it was parked at about 11 a.m. April 20, according to the charges.

When the victim came out 12 hours later, the vehicle was gone. It was later found around the Philadelphia International Airport by Philadelphia police. 

Ortiz, Payton and Lugo stole the vehicle and then used the owner’s credit cards, according to the charges.

Among the incidents charged are:

•     On April 23, a white 2019 Alfa Romeo was stolen from a home in Medford. Credit cards from the vehicle were used hours later in Cherry Hill. The indictment charges Payton and Ortiz for the theft and Payton, Ortiz and Smith for the fraudulent use of a credit card. 

•    On April 27, a 2024 BMW X4 was stolen from the driveway of a home in Moorestown. During the course of this theft, the homeowner came outside and the assailants fled. They allegedly returned moments later and stole the BMW from the garage. When they returned, one of the assailants, believed to be Payton, was armed with what appeared to be a firearm. Payton, Ortiz, and Smith are charged with home invasion, burglary, and theft of a motor vehicle in this incident.

The charges resulted from an investigation by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office with special help from the Medford, Moorestown and Mount Laurel police departments. The investigation was also assisted by the Cinnaminson, Berlin, Delanco, Delran, Berlin, Gloucester Township, Pine Hill, Clementon, Harrison, Mantua, Ventnor City, Haddon Township and Washington Township Police Departments. 

First-degree crimes carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $200,000.; second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000; third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000; and fourth-degree offenses carry a sentence of up to 18 months in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.