Crime & Safety
Saukville Man Charged in Large Milwaukee Auto Theft Ring
Lakeland Metal Processing recycler worked with other men to sell stolen cars from Milwaukee to a north side scrap metal facility in order to buy drugs.
A 43-year-old Saukville man is facing charges after he was involved in a car stealing ring where he would take cars stolen from the north side of Milwaukee and then sell them for scrap metal.
Jeffery A. Ciriacks, 2760 Shady Lane Rd., was charged in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Friday with one count of conspiracy to commit theft greater than $10,000 after he and five other Milwaukee men sold at least 44 stolen cars to Auto Scrap & Recyclers, 3800 W. Mill Road. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and $25,000 in fines.
According to the criminal complaint:
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Between Aug. 15 and Nov. 3, the men stole 44 cars mainly from neighborhoods on the north side of Milwaukee and then took them to the recycler to sell for $400 to $500 per car. Ciriacks, who is licensed to recycle through Lakeland Metal Processing, would take the cars in with the help of several of the other men.
According to one of the accomplices, Ciriacks knew one of the employees at the recycling facility would allow him to skip the lines and take the cars — which had peeled steering columns — to the back of the yard, which is unusual.
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Accomplices also told police Ciriacks is addicted to heroin and cocaine and would use money from the recycling deals to purchase drugs.
On Nov. 3 a man reported his stepson’s car had been stolen while it was parked in the 2800 block of North 24th Street and later that day he saw the car being towed by Ciriacks. The man followed Ciriacks to the recycling facility where he informed him the car was stolen.
Ciriacks then offered the man $500 for the car if he wouldn’t get the cops involved. When the man told him he had already called the police, Ciriacks unhooked the car from the truck and drove off.
After police checked records at the recycling facility they discovered Ciriacks had sold them 99 cars between August and November, 44 of which were reported stolen. Of the 44, 42 were stolen from neighborhoods on the north side, one was stolen from downtown Milwaukee and one was stolen from the south side of Milwaukee.
The other men charged in the case are: Leroy Barbee, 48, of Milwaukee; Eric Booke, 32, of Milwaukee; Quintin T. Hill, 24, of Milwaukee; Charvies Daniel Hoskin, 26, of Milwaukee; and Pierre Lamont Louis, 24, of Milwaukee.
Ciriacks didn’t appear in court Friday and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
