Defendants Sentenced for Interstate Auto Theft Conspiracy

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nigel Criss, age 27, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Rafael Otero Nieves, age 41, of Baltimore, Maryland, were sentenced on July 21, 2026, to 54 months' imprisonment and 84 months' imprisonment, respectively, by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann for interstate transportation of stolen motor vehicles.

According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Criss, Otero, and eight additional co-conspirators conspired with each other and others to transport stolen motor vehicles interstate and to receive, possess, conceal, store, sell, and dispose of stolen motor vehicles that had been transported interstate.

Criss, Otero, and their co-conspirators took the stolen vehicles-typically high-end, "muscle" type cars-across state lines to "car meetups" and "street takeovers," at which the co-conspirators would take over a parking lot, intersection, road, or portion of a highway. The vehicles were then shown off in person at the meetups and on social media and driven in a reckless and dangerous manner, such as drifting and "burning out" the vehicles.

The co-conspirators stole numerous vehicles across multiple states. For example, on October 3, 2023, Criss, Otero, and other co-conspirators traveled to a car dealership in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, to steal two 2017 Cadillac CTS-V's, a 2016 Cadillac CTS-V, two 2019 Cadillac CTS-V's, a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro, a 2019 Chevrolet Camaro, and a 2019 Chevrolet Corvette.

Ten co-conspirators were charged in this case. Several have been sentenced as follows, while the remaining defendants are pending sentence following guilty pleas:

• Nigel Criss, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-54 months' imprisonment;
• Ian Quintana Torres, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-pending sentence;
• Shamar Morris, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-12 months' imprisonment;
• Jumaane Wright, of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania-deceased;
• Raymond Steward, of Camden County, New Jersey-6 months' imprisonment;
• Rafael Otero Nieves, of Baltimore County, Maryland-84 months' imprisonment;
• Jose Otero Nieves, of Baltimore County, Maryland-pending sentence;
• Jesus Terrero, of Baltimore County, Maryland-pending sentence;
• Tyler Hoagland, of Howard County, Maryland-18 months' imprisonment, and;
• Robert Jones, of Prince George's County, Maryland-pending sentence.

In imposing the sentences, Chief Judge Brann noted the sheer volume of vehicles stolen by Criss and Otero-more than two dozen each-and the supervisory roles each defendant played in the wide-ranging, multi-state conspiracy.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police, Central and Eastern Auto Theft Task Forces investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle A. Moreno prosecuted the case.

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