Mastermind Reveals How He Built a Criminal Fortune | Skinny Keem DSH #1370

Summary

Digital Social Hour: Mastermind Reveals How He Built a Criminal Fortune Episode #1370 | Released May 12, 2025 Host: Sean Kelly | Guest: Skinny Keem

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Introduction and Early Beginnings

In this gripping episode of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly engages in a candid conversation with Skinny Keem, the self-proclaimed "most wanted car thief in America." Skinny Keem opens up about his initial foray into the world of car theft, revealing how a single stolen vehicle propelled him into a life of criminal entrepreneurship.

Skinny Keem [00:00]: "If you get a Porsche, don't go ride around in a Porsche to go show off. You get the money, you. By the time you sell four or five Porsches, you could go buy yourself a Porsche."

Skinny explains that his journey began at age 25 when he used a stolen car to enter the car theft game. This strategic move was not about flaunting wealth but about building capital to invest in his burgeoning enterprise.

Skinny Keem [00:09]: "So why would you ride around in a stolen car? Yeah, yeah. Now me, when I first started, I had a stolen car. That's how I got in, because I had a stolen car and somebody wanted to buy it. And that's how I got into the game."

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Adolescence and Influences

Growing up, Skinny was influenced by mob culture and rap music, which shaped his aspirations and operational mindset. His association with figures like Joey Molino and rapper Tommy Hill introduced him to the gritty realities of street life and the importance of protection.

Skinny Keem [00:39]: "I grew up like following Joey Molino and all the mobsters and stuff like that. Mob movies and things like that."

This early exposure led him to adopt protective measures such as bulletproof vests, underscoring the dangers inherent in his chosen path.

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Building a Criminal Empire

Skinny swiftly transitioned from a novice to a seasoned car thief, developing a sophisticated network that scaled his operations significantly. By leveraging a network of 26 acquaintances, he was able to procure and sell cars consistently, transforming a modest $700 per car venture into a million-dollar enterprise.

Skinny Keem [03:08]: "I was only getting like $700 for a car at the time when I first started. And then I got up to getting thousands to a hundred thousands. Then I made it to a million too."

As a broker, Skinny managed the logistics of sourcing and selling stolen vehicles across multiple cities, including Miami, Baltimore, D.C., Ohio, and Delaware. His strategic approach ensured a steady flow of high-value cars, positioning him at the pinnacle of the car theft hierarchy.

Skinny Keem [04:19]: "Yeah, yeah. Sometimes I would go out, but I was mainly at the top. I was like the broker. I could find the money, I could find the buyers. So I would go to different cities and different states and I would find buyers."

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Operational Tactics and Avoiding Law Enforcement

Skinny delves into the meticulous planning and operational tactics that kept him ahead of law enforcement for over seven years. His methods included driving stolen cars out of the country, using bulletproof vehicles, and maintaining stringent no-trace protocols to avoid detection.

Skinny Keem [07:20]: "Yeah. See, mine wasn't. Mine was going, like, way overseas, so it was taking three weeks to get there, so."

His ability to evade capture was further enhanced by his understanding of how to exploit gaps in surveillance and law enforcement practices, allowing him to sustain his operations with minimal interference.

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Near-Death Experiences and High-Stakes Risks

Throughout his career, Skinny encountered numerous life-threatening situations, including a particularly harrowing incident where he narrowly escaped being shot during a transaction. These experiences underscored the perilous nature of his activities and the constant vigilance required to survive in the criminal underworld.

Skinny Keem [01:37]: "Every time I rolled by, I just rolled by with my music blasting, music blasting. And the last time I came by, he just walked out. He walked out the cut and put the gun in the car. And the gun didn't shoot though."

Despite these risks, Skinny maintained his composure and strategic mindset, emphasizing the importance of being smart and cautious to navigate the dangers of his lifestyle.

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The Downfall: Betrayal and Arrest

Skinny's reign eventually came to an abrupt end due to betrayal from within his trusted circle. A close associate, whom Skinny considered a friend, turned informant, leading to his arrest after years of successful operations without significant legal repercussions.

Skinny Keem [08:03]: "And the whole time I think I'm pushing the gas, I'm pushing the brake, so the car is just sitting there and he got the gun in the car."

He reflects on the personal toll of his downfall, including the emotional impact of his friend's betrayal and the subsequent loss of trust that permeated his network.

Skinny Keem [08:19]: "You want to get ahead? Start by getting real rest."

Despite having built a robust system to elude law enforcement, Skinny acknowledges that the inevitability of betrayal and the pressures of maintaining his empire ultimately led to his capture.

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Legal Consequences and Reflection

Facing legal consequences, Skinny received two years of probation, later extended by an additional two years for continued supervision. Remarkably, he served only eight months, a result he attributes to the lack of concrete evidence against him.

Skinny Keem [09:01]: "Yeah, that's not bad at all. So you were mixing friendship and business, though?"

His reflections demonstrate a pragmatic approach to his downfall, recognizing the flaws and vulnerabilities within his operation that made it susceptible to internal sabotage.

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Life After Crime: Transition to Legitimacy

Following his release, Skinny made a conscious decision to abandon his life of crime. Personal losses, including the passing of a close friend, catalyzed his shift towards legitimate endeavors. He now focuses on sharing his story through a forthcoming book and documentary, aiming to shed light on the complexities and realities of his former lifestyle.

Skinny Keem [33:31]: "I'm working on my book. My book should be coming soon... And I'm working on a documentary..."

This transition marks a significant transformation from his past, highlighting themes of redemption and the pursuit of a more authentic and sustainable path.

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Operational Insights and Techniques

Throughout the conversation, Skinny provides detailed insights into the mechanics of his car theft operations. He explains the importance of timing, such as stealing cars when they are first off the boat and not yet registered or tracked by GPS systems.

Skinny Keem [29:06]: "So when the car come off the boat, the car is just a computer. It ain't. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, it's not programmed yet."

He also discusses his approach to scaling the business, emphasizing the necessity of building trust with buyers and managing large transactions efficiently.

Skinny Keem [26:14]: "All you gotta do is stack your money. Even if you was getting paid $1,000 a car and you bringing cars, just stack the money."

These details provide a rare glimpse into the operational strategies that sustain large-scale criminal enterprises, showcasing Skinny's acumen in both logistics and negotiation.

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Closing Thoughts and Future Aspirations

As the episode concludes, Skinny hints at deeper layers of his story yet to be unveiled in future projects, including potential collaborations with high-profile figures like 50 Cent. His mention of having sold cars back to the police adds an enigmatic twist to his narrative, leaving listeners eager for more revelations in his upcoming documentary.

Skinny Keem [34:08]: "And I be getting so mad. One of them pissed me off one time... I used to sell the cars back to the cops."

Sean Kelly wraps up the episode by commending Skinny's strategic mindset and the intricate systems he employed to build and sustain his criminal fortune, leaving the audience with a compelling testament to the complexities of a life lived on the edge.

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Conclusion

This episode of Digital Social Hour offers an unfiltered and in-depth exploration of Skinny Keem's rise and fall in the world of car theft. Through his firsthand account, listeners gain valuable insights into the operational strategies, personal challenges, and ultimate transformations that define his tumultuous journey. Skinny's story serves as both a cautionary tale and a testament to the resilience and adaptability required to navigate the criminal underworld.

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Notable Quotes:

• Skinny Keem [00:09]: "So why would you ride around in a stolen car?"
• Skinny Keem [03:08]: "I was only getting like $700 for a car at the time when I first started. And then I got up to getting thousands to a hundred thousands. Then I made it to a million too."
• Skinny Keem [08:03]: "And the whole time I think I'm pushing the gas, I'm pushing the brake, so the car is just sitting there and he got the gun in the car."
• Skinny Keem [29:06]: "So when the car come off the boat, the car is just a computer. It ain't. You know what I'm saying?"
• Skinny Keem [34:08]: "And I be getting so mad. One of them pissed me off one time... I used to sell the cars back to the cops."

---

This comprehensive summary captures the essence of Skinny Keem's narrative, providing a thorough understanding of his experiences and insights shared during the interview. For those intrigued by the intertwining of criminal operations and personal transformation, this episode is a must-listen.

Transcript

[A]

If you get a Porsche, don't go ride around in a Porsche to go show off. You get the money, you. By the time you sell four or five Porsches, you could go buy yourself a Porsche.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

So why would you ride around in a stolen car? Yeah, yeah. Now me, when I first started, I had a stolen car. That's how I got in, because I had a stolen car and somebody wanted to buy it. And that's how I got into the game.

[B]

All right, guys, got a fun one today. Most wanted car thief in America. Skinny Keem. Let's go, man.

[A]

Sup? Sup?

[B]

These days you're living a much quieter lifestyle though, right?

[A]

Yeah, I'm trying to.

[B]

You always wanted to be a criminal though, growing up?

[A]

Yeah, I just didn't know what, what criminal I wanted to be, what type of criminal I wanted to be. I grew up like following Joey Molino and all the mobsters and stuff like that. Mob movies and things like that.

[B]

Did you ever want to work like with the mob as like a. What do they call them? Acquaintance or.

[A]

No, not really. I was cool with this guy that was like cool with Joey Molino. His name was Tommy Hill. He was a rapper in Philly. So I was young, but I used to be. And I used to rap, so I used to always be around them. Used to see him with his bulletproof vest on and all that. So that, that got me into wearing bulletproof vests and wanting to be in the streets. But I was smart in the streets though.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, you have to be to survive, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Not a lot of people make it out.

[A]

No, not at all.

[B]

And I'm sure you've had a few sketchy near death experiences.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

How many?

[A]

A few. I can remember this one time I was in my X5 and my X5 was bulletproof and I was like gang mourn in the neighborhood and I would troll the people that I was gang warring with. So I went by trolling this one dude and he was like a real black dude. He was like black. And he was standing in the cut, he was standing in the dark, but I could see him. Every time I rolled by, I just rolled by with my music blasting, music blasting. And the last time I came by, he just walked out. He walked out the cut and put the gun in the car. And the gun didn't shoot though. And so I had my homie in the car and I pushed him down. And the whole time I think I'm pushing the gas, I'm pushing the brake, so the car is just Sitting there and he got the gun in the car.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

Yeah, but thank God. I don't know what happened. I don't know if the gun jammed or he just didn't shoot, but he had it right in there.

[B]

Holy crap.

[A]

Yeah. Then I got in a police chase after that. It just was crazy.

[B]

Was that in Philly? The police chase?

[A]

Yeah, that was in Philly, yeah.

[B]

Did you get away?

[A]

Yeah, I got away but I lost somebody pistol that I had, so.

[B]

Shit, I feel like most police chases end up in them getting caught.

[A]

Yeah, no, I. I was, I was booked. I ain't never really get caught at nothing. I did. For real?

[B]

Yeah. Cuz your plates, you wouldn't have. I saw you on another podcast, you wouldn't have a plate on the back, right on the stone cars.

[A]

This was. This was before I started the stolen car thing. Yeah, this, this X5 was paid for. Yeah, this before I started the stolen car.

[B]

So how old were you when you started doing the car stuff?

[A]

25. The end of 25. About to be 26 years old. Yeah.

[B]

And you got good at that?

[A]

Yeah, I got good fast.

[B]

Did you have a mentor or how did you figure out the game so quickly?

[A]

I can't even say. The money. The money. I wanted a lot of money, so I came up with a way to get a lot. I was only getting like $700 for a car at the time when I first started. And then I got up to getting thousands to a hundred thousands. Then I made it to a million to.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

How much planning went into each each time you stole a car?

[A]

At first I used to be so precise. But then once I got the hang of it, it'd be easy. I get a phone call in the morning, they got a car, I go sell it.

[B]

Damn. So people would tip you off if they saw a car was parked for a few days or something?

[A]

No. So I had like 26 people. I had like 26 acquaintance. 26 for the first round and they would bring me cars like every day. So you figured 26 people bringing a car every day or throughout the week, that's a lot of money. So that's how I was doing it.

[B]

Oh, so you were like at the top and you just had people doing it for you?

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Sometimes I would go out, but I was mainly at the top. I was like the broker. I could find the money, I could find the buyers. So I would go to different cities and different states and I would find buyers.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So I had buyers all over. Yeah.

[B]

Do you think people are still doing that right now.

[A]

Yeah, but they get in court so fast they don't got the knowledge. I think they just want the fast cash. They don't even care if the people get they product. They just want to get the cash. And I cared about my clients. It was like a. I was running it like it was a Fortune 500 company. Like it was a company. I was running it. I was running it just like it.

[B]

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[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And they wake up and the airtag says it's in Mexico.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Within 12 hours.

[A]

Yeah. See, mine wasn't. Mine was going, like, way overseas, so it was taking three weeks to get there, so.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

Yeah. So it'll be parked or it'll be in a container for a little while until they ready to go.

[B]

Yeah. I feel like it's harder now with all the cameras and.

[A]

No, it's.

[B]

You don't think so?

[A]

No, really, it's not about. It's not about getting a car. It's about getting a car out the country.

[B]

That's the hard part.

[A]

Yeah. So if I take your car, you not getting it back? If I get it, I don't care if it got a tracker. I don't care if it got gps. I don't care if it got somebody sitting in that motherfucker. You ain't getting it back. If me and my team got that car, it was gone. The only reason why they found 56 cars is because somebody gave me up.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

Yeah. That's the only reason why they found 56 cars.

[B]

So if no one snitched on you, you think you could have kept doing it?

[A]

I got caught, and then I got told on. They got me, and then I did it for another seven years without getting court. So I just gave up. I just woke up one morning and was like, I don't want to do it no more. I'm going to just go and try to sell my story now.

[B]

You had a good system. What made you give up? Did you start feeling bad or.

[A]

No, my friend passed away and. Yeah, I did. Like, when he passed away, it was like a lot of emotional things happening. Cause people was getting their cars took. And I never thought about nobody, you know, mental anguish on it. I just thought about the money at the time. Cause I was young, and as I got older. I understand. I'm gonna just take these from the car lot insurance thing.

[B]

Yeah. So how many. When you got caught, what happened? How many years did you get?

[A]

I ain't get no. Yeah, I got two years probation, but then they tagged on another two years because they wanted to watch me. They only got me for eight months.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

Yeah. Out of the seven years, they only locked me up for eight months.

[B]

Holy crap.

[A]

And they never caught me doing anything. I just gave myself up. I just was like, all right, fuck it. Yo. They put the charges on me, and I just took the charges. I could have beat it in court. Wow. But I wanted to save all my friends.

[B]

So you were just. You were moving super smart then. Like, they had no evidence on you. Nothing.

[A]

They ain't had nothing on me.

[B]

Were you texting people? Calling people?

[A]

They ain't had nothing on me. They ain't had no phones. They ain't had nothing. All they had was word of mouth.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

They never seen a transaction of mine.

[B]

They didn't subpoena your phone law, your phone records or anything?

[A]

Nope. They couldn't find the phones. When they came in my house, I had my phones up on the. Up on the cabinet. I don't know why they didn't look, but they just found money wraps and they found a gun in there. That was it. They ain't. They ain't getting nothing from me.

[B]

Damn, bro, you were moving hella smart. I'm impressed. Like that's a skill.

[A]

Yeah. Nothing. They ain't getting nothing from me. No phone records, no nothing.

[B]

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[A]

Would have took the stand and. And, you know, said it, but I didn't let I didn't make him take the stand. I just pled guilty because I knew I had all my friends, everybody that was taking. Taking the cars for me. I ain't want nobody else to come down. So I just was like, all right. And it was only eight months, what I would have did, a month in jail. It wasn't nothing. I don't even got no record. I ain't had no record at the time.

[B]

Yeah, that's not bad at all. So you were mixing friendship and business, though?

[A]

Yeah, I was, because I wanted everybody to eat. So if you came to me, I would think that you was a real, you know, a real friend and wouldn't hurt me or.

[B]

So the one guy that snitched was a friend of yours?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Damn, that one must have hurt.

[A]

Yeah. But after that, I seen him out, I shook his hand, and I just was like, it's the game. I don't think snitches and all that. You playing the game. If you're playing the game, you know what's going to happen. So everybody got consequences.

[B]

It's inevitable, right? Someone's going to. Out of 26, I'm surprised only one did.

[A]

No, it was a couple. But actually on me, because I didn't really deal. I didn't deal with the people that he had with him. That was his people. So everybody would have a clique with him. So if I got 26 people, them 26 people got a whole crew behind them. So I had hundreds of people probably bringing stuff.

[B]

God damn.

[A]

Yeah. Because let's say, like, you was somebody that was bringing me one. Now you got a whole crew behind you. So you got a crew of five or six people that's bringing it to you, and then you're bringing it to me. Me.

[B]

And was this all throughout the country or certain cities?

[A]

It was cities, Cities, cities, yeah.

[B]

Yeah, that makes sense.

[A]

Well, Miami, Baltimore, D.C. ohio, Delaware, it was just all over. And they was all bringing them. Maryland.

[B]

Damn. Because you want to be close to a port, though, right? So you could ship it?

[A]

No, we drive them. We drive them up to Canada.

[B]

What?

[A]

Yeah, we drive them up to Canada.

[B]

And you could cross the border, even though you're.

[A]

Once it's there, you know, you got people in that's getting money to do things. That's how they was getting out the country. So if you at the port, you got somebody that's taking that bribe at the port.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

So even if it's going through Canada, you got somebody to take a bribe anyway. It's just like you Going to the club and you pay the bounce of $20 to get you in. It's a bribe. I'm gonna get you in.

[B]

Money talks.

[A]

Yeah. So if you going to Canada, let's say you give somebody $5,000 to let you across, they gonna take that $5,000. They probably getting paid what, 20, $30 an hour. So somebody coming through with a car, just. Yo, hun, take that 5,000.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You won't let them go.

[B]

Did you want to evolve from cars ever, or did you. Were you happy just doing cars?

[A]

I was happy just doing cars, but when we had got took down. Well, I didn't get took down in the first. In the first container situation, but I wanted to hide my money into construction.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

But I lost all that money.

[B]

Damn. In construction.

[A]

Yeah. They kept it.

[B]

So you would pay the developers.

[A]

Yeah, developers overseas. I was doing it overseas.

[B]

And they just kept it.

[A]

Yeah, because the cops ran down on everybody and they halt the operation for like. So they halt the operation for like nine months. So them nine months in between them nine months, I thought I was hot. Well, I knew I was hot, but they still couldn't get me on nothing. So what I did was I went to a college that my girl was. My ex girlfriend was going, so I put on some scrubs and stuff and I went to her school and I did nursing class for free. I used to just go in there and sit down. Book paper, book bag.

[B]

That's crazy. So you weren't even registered at school?

[A]

I wasn't registered or nothing. I just go in there, sit down, you know, Hi, how you doing?

[B]

These classes are so big.

[A]

You could easily do that still, but it wasn't. The classes wasn't that big, though. They were small. I used to be in the computer room and everything. Like, I just walk around.

[B]

That's crazy.

[A]

But that's how I was in the game. I would make myself noticeable.

[B]

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[A]

And notice me. So I would walk around with flip flops on. Like, I would just.

[B]

You know, they say hidden in plain sight.

[A]

Yeah, I was in plain sight. And I used to tell people like, yo, I'm the man. And, you know, don't nobody believe when you say that. So ain't nobody believe me. So I just continue to do what I was doing.

[B]

Yeah. When did you know you were hot?

[A]

After they broke in my house and took a million dollars.

[B]

Who did?

[A]

I don't know. It had to be a friend, because the FBI. But the FBI brought me down like. Like a year later to ask me about it. And they had all. All these people I knew. They had them spread across the table.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Just like the movies.

[A]

Yup. They had them spread across the table. And they wanted me. The FBI wanted me to, like, work for them, like, but on drugs. I'm like, I don't sell no drugs. I don't do no drugs. And then they like, well, we know you be in the club. We know you be with this person. And they like, all right, well, we gonna give you a minute to think. And they walk out the room, and they come back, and they just let me go. Cause they knew I wasn't gonna do it.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

Yeah. I was dealing with cars. I wasn't.

[B]

So you never found out who took that? That's crazy.

[A]

Nah, it was one of them people in that picture, though. They knew. That's why they showed me the picture. They knew who it was. Shit.

[B]

That's a lot of cash.

[A]

Yeah. But I ain't care, though. I told them in the interview when they was interviewing me, I was like, I don't. I don't care. I'm gonna make it back. I don't care about it as long as I got away with my life. It had to be somebody I know because they didn't do nothing to me. And I was sitting in my parking lot before I left, so I know they was watching me.

[B]

That's true. Because if they. If they knew you, they're not gonna hurt you if they're close with you.

[A]

And it had to be somebody that's like I'm, I'm getting the money. It was some. It was a backdoor thing because I'm still getting the money. And if I'm going, if I die or something, you ain't gonna be able to get no money no more because the plug is just gonna go.

[B]

Did you have crazy trust issues after that happened to you?

[A]

I always did. I used to have a bulletproof hat. I used to have hat.

[B]

I didn't know they made hats.

[A]

Yeah, I had a bulletproof hat. I had the vest I had. My BMW was bulletproof. I ain't used to trust nobody. For real. For real. But I kept people around me so they wouldn't do nothing. You know, when you feed the wolves, they loyal.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. You need someone around. You can't ride completely solo, right?

[A]

Yeah. Damn.

[B]

That's nuts. I got to see this in a documentary one day.

[A]

Yeah. The story gets deeper.

[B]

Yeah. I'm sure there's a lot you haven't even said on podcast yet that year. You're just holding back for a film.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

You talking to any filmmakers producers right now?

[A]

Well, I was in an option for two years with ABC Signature Disney and the writer strike happened, so they put that on the back burner.

[B]

Damn bad timing.

[A]

But it's called off the rims though. You could Google it is on the Internet.

[B]

You got an itch to get back into that lifestyle ever?

[A]

No. But if I did, if I got back into that lifestyle, I don't think it'd be crazy out here no more. I don't think that these people would be like running around crazy like they are. Cause they just half cocked out here. They just taking cars and don't even know what to do with it. If you see my DMs, it's crazy. Cause they would do it and then hit me up like I'm like, yo, I'm not in the game. I'm not in the game no more. Why would you take the car if you can't sell it? That's why I say it's easy to get the car, but it's hard to sell it.

[B]

Yeah, you already. The hard part is finding the buyers, right?

[A]

Yeah, that's the hard part. Because they gotta trust you. You dealing with hundreds of thousand of dollars. I used to make them come meet me and give me $100,000.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. So.

[B]

Well, cars are probably harder to steal now though, right? No, they're not.

[A]

No, it's the same. It's the same. It ain't going to change. It's just that people out here have. Like I said, they just running around doing anything, thinking that it's harder than what it is. But it's really easy.

[B]

Well, you probably can't steal the electric ones.

[A]

I want to say something, but I ain't trying to get myself in trouble.

[B]

No.

[A]

Cause I'm just saying anything can go. Anything can go. But they don't want that electric over there. They don't want electric cars over there. Shit, half of the towns don't even got electric. They don't want.

[B]

Yeah, they don't have the chargers.

[A]

Yeah, but if I was in it, I could get whatever. Electric, whatever.

[B]

Damn. So hot wiring still works on those?

[A]

No, they don't hot wire. All you need is a key.

[B]

Yeah, I guess.

[A]

No hot wiring. I never hotwired. I never sold a. A car that was hot wired. I never did that. I used to sell a car with the plastic on it.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

Yeah. And I had like this little spot in Southwest. So the back, it was 61st Street. So in the back it was like nobody would really go back there. I used to have cars lined up back there with, with the white plastic still on it, brand new, just waiting to be sold.

[B]

That's straight from the dealership. That's crazy. Yeah, I tried. Someone tried hotwiring my car.

[A]

What was that? Honda.

[B]

It was a Santa Fe Hyundai.

[A]

Oh yeah. See, they just wanted to ride around. Yeah, I wanted the money. I would never drive them unless I was going to a drop. That's the only time I would drive them. And I would try to instill that in the young dudes. That was not even gonna say worker for me. But you know, that was in the organization. I used to try to instill that in a brain. If you get a Porsche, don't go ride around in a Porsche to go show off. You get the money, you. By the time you sell four or five Porsches, you could go buy yourself a Porsche.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

So why would you ride around in a stolen car?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Now me, when I first started, I had a stolen car. That's how I got in, because I had a stolen car and somebody wanted to buy it. And that's how I got into the game. But after that, I. I didn't drive no stolen cars.

[B]

What was the most expensive car you stole?

[A]

A Bentley. The Flyer Spur, part of the newer one. We had Lambos, we had Ferraris, Rolls Royces, everything. Anything. You can name a boat. If you wanted a boat, I could get you a boat. If you wanted a plane, I can get you A plane. Only thing a party didn't even have a request for was a train. But if the tracks go there, I could get it. Anything. Anything I can get. Because all I would have to do is call, make a call. I don't care if it was an insurance job. If you wanted it, I can get it. If you wanted a yacht, right now, I could find somebody that wanted to do an insurance job on a yacht, and we could put that motherfucker in a container and ship it out.

[B]

So how does that work? You say it crashed and then you just steal it?

[A]

Or they say somebody stole it? Yeah. Once it's stolen, I mean, they gonna do the investigation. But the whole thing about it is it's not in the country no more. No face, no trace. Yeah. So that's how I operated my stuff had to get out the country. That's how I last so long. It was no evidence.

[B]

Yeah. Cause if you sold to people in the country, it would tie back to you somehow.

[A]

Yeah. So say like if the car lot saying that they missing 30 cars and they can't. And the cops can't find them, then that means I did a good job. But if you. If. If the cops hit you with. Let's say they hit you with a $10 million ring, that's $10 million that got found. I want to be in a bracket where $100,000. Where I get caught in $100,000 ring, because that mean everything made it over, and we only lost $100,000. So people think the higher the amount that they found is good. No, that is backwards. You with mine, it was 2.3 million. That's how much they found. That's how many cars they found. But I wish it was lower. I Wish it was 10,000.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

That means that all my people got their shipment. But if it goes higher, that means my people lost their money. Because now the cops got 10, $10.5 million back. So I'll be happy if they get 100,000. If they say, oh, we busted $100,000 car wrang, that means all my stuff made it where it need to go.

[B]

Damn. So they found 2.3 million cars.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That is crazy. So that means international got involved.

[A]

Yeah. What was it? Homeland Security?

[B]

Mm.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Holy crap. That's a lot of cars.

[A]

Yeah. And that was in eight months. So imagine 14 years. I did it for 14 years.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

The first seven years, they. They. They had. They was oblivious to anything. I mean, they probably knew my name, but I would never get out the car. I would always have tent. And sometimes I would even get two cars. I would go and get a car to match the one that I'm about to sell. That was in the beginning, before I learned more and more and more.

[B]

That's crazy. What was the closest halt, Closest call? You had to get in caught to get in court.

[A]

I got chased on 76. And the reason I got chased was because I panicked. I was in a Jag and I seen a state trooper and the car started beeping. So I'm thinking that the car is beeping because the cops is there. It was the fucking seatbelt. This is when they. It was the seatbelt. I thought it was the radar thing on the cop. And so I start panicking, so they start chasing me. But I got away. And I got the car down in the hotel parking lot, and it still got shipped. Damn.

[B]

So that was a stolen car you were in?

[A]

Yeah, that was a stolen one. Cause I had to transport it.

[B]

Ooh.

[A]

Yeah. So sometimes I would just have to transport it. If I ain't trust a person. I would transport it and I would get the money and then I would pay them. And then I didn't want people to see the plug, and so I would have to do shit myself sometimes.

[B]

Yeah. You kept that just to you, right? You didn't share that with anyone?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. That's smart, though. Cause then people would have went around you.

[A]

Yeah, but they wouldn't even. They wouldn't have last. Cause somebody tried to do it before, but he didn't last. Maybe last a month.

[B]

That's it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Cause he doesn't have the systems in place.

[A]

Yeah. And they be greedy. This is not about greed. It's about stacking. All you gotta do is stack your money. Even if you was getting paid $1,000 a car and you bringing cars, just stack the money. Just stack the thousand dollars. You bringing a car a day, that's 5,000 a week. 7,000 if it's Saturday. Sunday.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Even though I'm making 5 or 10 off off of everyone, but still, everybody's still eating. So if you tell me, hey, I want 2,000 for this car, I'm gonna go get 10,000. But that's what you told me you wanted. So I'm gonna give you your 2,000. I'm gonna take my 10, and that's how I operate, too.

[B]

So you were good at negotiating too.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You're taking 80 and they're doing all the work. That's impressive.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. At your peak, you were pulling in 50k a week. Right.

[A]

Man, I was pulling in more than that because I would get them to come. I would get them to give me $1,000 when they land. So we would meet in a bar in Southwest called the Happy Inn. I would meet them there, they would give me $1,000. We get drunk, party, all that. And then the next day, they would give me a list and give me $100,000.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

So I got the $100,000, and I got the list of cars. I call each person from a different part of the city and I tell them what I want. So whoever bring the car first, that's the car that I sell. Or sometimes I might just buy both of them. And then if it's a car that I don't want, I'm paying $1,000. I'm paying $1,000 for it. And I got $100,000. Geez. So you figured $10,000 out of $100,000? And I get to keep the rest, or however much it was.

[B]

That's crazy. So they were giving you a list of what they wanted?

[A]

Yeah, I was getting the list some days, or if somebody just had something random, they'd call me, like, hey, yo, Ace. They used to call me Ace. That was my name. Ace. I got a Audi Q7. And then they do it. They bring it. I got set up in a blue Audi Q7. Me and my homie. The cops had a tracker on it. So when I went to sell it, when I went to sell the Audi, we couldn't start it. And I'm like, why the fuck can't we start this joint? Whole time we was being set up, we was being watched, film taped, all that.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

That's when that was? Yeah, that was. Two people I know set me up. I don't care.

[B]

Damn. So they just pulled up and arrested you on the spot?

[A]

No, no, no. This was in the eight months.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[A]

Yeah, this was in the eight months. But the car didn't get sold. They just wanted to see what was going on. So you still can't get me for selling the car? Cause I never Sol. Mm.

[B]

You were just inside of it?

[A]

Yeah, I was inside of it, trying to start it and stuff like that. They just wanted to see who I was.

[B]

Yeah, well, back in those times, there weren't as many trackers, right? It wasn't, like, as common as now.

[A]

No. So we didn't take. We didn't take Hummers, and we didn't take Escalades. Cause they had the Onstar. But what people don't know is. And I shouldn't be saying all this. What people don't know is that the car lots don't program the cars. They don't program the GPS in the cars. So hundreds of cars was going missing.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

So when the car come off the boat, the car is just a computer. It ain't. You know what I'm saying?

[B]

It's not programmed yet.

[A]

Yeah, it's not programmed. So you could just drive or. You know what I'm saying? Ain't nothing really programmed on it.

[B]

So that's the best time to go for them. When they're coming off the boat?

[A]

Yeah, when they coming off? When they're coming off the truck, the trailer and they being put. That's why I said. Now that goes back to what I said. I used to have the cars with the white stuff on it with the paper on it. Yeah, yeah. Stuff in the window.

[B]

That's smart. I saw one clip. You stole an excavator?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That's insane.

[A]

Somebody wanted an excavator for diamonds because they was digging up diamonds in a jungle. And I'm joints just to be on the side of the road. And like I said, the object of the game is to get the motherfucker out the country before anybody know. That's it. So once it's on that boat, you're good. Yeah. Once it's on that boat, sometimes once it's in the container, it's good because the container is so solid. Yeah. So when I got arrested it wasn't because they. When I got set up, they had the X5. They had it inside a container. So I thought that it was a tracker at first, but. Well, it was a tracker but I thought it was a tracker from like the car company. But it was a tracker from the cops. So the cops already knew where the car was going. It wasn't because it was in a container that they found it. They had a fucking tracker and they was watching where it went.

[B]

So they were allowed to open the container?

[A]

Yeah, the container was parked on the regular street. Oh, damn. In the hood.

[B]

Damn. Wow.

[A]

It was parked on the street like they drive them motherfuckers right up in there. Right around the corner from the police station.

[B]

You were that close to the police station?

[A]

I used to right handed guy. I used to be in New York. I would come off of. It had to be George Washington. I would come off George Washington. I think it was Jerome Av. I'm not sure if it was Jerome Av. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong. If y' all see this But I used to make a right off of Jerome av. I mean, off the George Washington Bridge. Make a right, then make a left. And I would sell my cars right there. And I swear to Jesus, the police station was right here.

[B]

You were just so confident.

[A]

Police station right here. And I would be selling the car right here.

[B]

Stolen, hidden in plain sight.

[A]

Like you said, we drive him from Philly to New York. And I did that plenty of times. Nothing ever happened.

[B]

That's crazy. You ever get family involved or you were just moving on your own?

[A]

No. Ain't nobody know what I was doing, really. None of my family would know what I was doing. And the people that was working with me, they wouldn't tell nobody. Except for the ones that told the cops. Yeah, but nobody knew. Nobody knew. Everybody thought I was a drug dealer or they thought, like, a girl was taking care of me. One time they said I was making money in the basement. Like, counterfeit money. That's how much money I had.

[B]

That's crazy.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That must have been hard to keep to yourself.

[A]

No.

[B]

Not tell any family.

[A]

No, it wasn't really. Nah. I just didn't never tell nobody until it came out on the news. That's when people knew. That's when they was like, oh, that's what he was doing. And then.

[B]

Were you flashy with it?

[A]

Yeah, I was flashy as hell. I always had, like, cars.

[B]

Designer.

[A]

Yeah. No, no, no, no, no. Designer. I wasn't wearing designer. I mean, I wore Gucci every now and then to go to a party, but I used to be in the hood. I used to be like Rick Ross, and I never even seen Rick Ross Story until, you know, recently. But I used to be like him. I used to have flip flops on. Everywhere I went, I had flip flops. And I would wear, like, tan khakis and a regular shirt unless I was going out of town or something. But I had, like, jewelry and stuff, but I wouldn't wear it unless I was going out. I had a nice watch and stuff like that.

[B]

So you just spent most money on cars?

[A]

Yeah. Oh, I just hit it.

[B]

I love it, man.

[A]

Yeah, I just.

[B]

Oh, dude, this has been cool. Anything else you want to close off with here? Anything you're working on right now?

[A]

The documentary? I'm working on my book. My book should be coming soon. I don't want to release the name of it yet, but. And I'm working on a documentary, and I got a few people that I'm trying to, you know, score a deal with to get this series actually done. 50 Cent. If you listening to this, I try to reach out to you. Please reach back out to me.

[B]

Hit him up. He's killing it right now, too, with the television.

[A]

Yeah. And I think that my show would be like a hit. Because there's nothing like. I mean, it's stuff like it. But people ain't really telling they stories.

[B]

Not to your level. You were the number one guy.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Doing this stuff.

[A]

And is so much more. I used to. I'm gonna end it with this. I'm gonna close it off with this. I used to sell the cars back to the cops. What? I used to sell the cars back to the cops.

[B]

People just gotta interpret that. How they.

[A]

They gotta interpret it the way they interpret it. I used to. And I be getting so mad. One of them pissed me off one time. I'm telling you, the story gets way crazier and people be thinking it's a lie. But it's the truth. I used to sell the cars back to the cops.

[B]

That's nuts. Well, we'll end it there. You'll have to watch the documentary to see that. Thanks for coming on, man.

[A]

All right, man.

[B]

Check them out, guys. Peace.