5 Illinois residents among 23 charged in multi-state car theft ring, officials say

5 Illinois residents among 23 charged in multi-state car theft ring, officials say

A discarded license plate found in rural Wisconsin has led to a massive federal investigation and the takedown of a multi-state car theft ring involving nearly two dozen people across Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, authorities said.

ILLINOIS - A discarded license plate found in rural Wisconsin has led to a massive federal investigation and the takedown of a multi-state car theft ring involving nearly two dozen people across Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, authorities said.

What we know:

Five Illinois residents are among more than 20 people facing federal charges following a years-long investigation into the organized theft and trafficking of high-end vehicles.

Authorities said the probe began after police recovered an abandoned license plate, which ultimately unraveled a criminal operation responsible for stealing more than 175 new or luxury vehicles in Wisconsin and selling them across the country.

Investigators said profits from the sales were used to purchase real estate, which was then resold in an alleged money-laundering scheme.

Twenty-three people are facing a range of charges, including creating fake companies, altering vehicle identification numbers, forging car titles and selling stolen vehicles for cash and narcotics.

What's next:

All 23 defendants are charged with conspiring to receive, transport and sell stolen vehicles; tampering with vehicle identification numbers; and producing and transferring fraudulent titles for stolen cars.