Two Detroiters are accused of orchestrating a fairly massive auto theft ring that specifically targeted Dodge Durangos at car dealerships across Michigan. All in all, David Franklin and Barron Hatch Jr. stole over 25 Durangos, and now they’ve been arrested by police in Macomb County, Michigan.
Police tell The Detroit News they started investigating a series of car thefts in November of 2024. They believed the duo was targeting Dodge dealerships and used a “key programming device” to steal multiple Durangos at once. Police departments across the state worked to find these two silly billies and recover a number of the missing vehicles.
Franklin, a 41-year-old, was charged earlier this month with conducting a criminal enterprise. If he’s found guilty he faces up to 20 years in prison, according to The Detroit News. He’s also facing a possession of burglary tools charge, which carries up to a 10-year sentence. A judge recently set his bond at $1 million and scheduled his probable cause hearing for March 4. If he does end up posting bond, he’ll have to wear a GPS tether. Hatcher, who is 24 years old, was given identical chargers to Franklin, but his bond was set at $500,000.
Hatcher and Franklin were arrested in late January in Farmington Hills, Michigan and Houston, Texas, respectively, before they were extradited back to Michigan. Both men remain at the Macomb County Jail, according to FOX 2 Detroit. Right now it’s not entirely clear how many other people, if any, were a part of this operation.
Other car thefts
