AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was arrested Sept. 8 after police said he tried to sell a car in Austin that was stolen from a rental car company in Houston.
According to the Austin Police Department, an investigation showed the man was linked to roughly 20 similar cases of auto theft.
APD said 32-year-old Dexter Avery Carrington was charged with six felonies, with the potential of additional charges being added as the case develops.
KXAN reached out to Carrington’s attorney for a statement. This article will be updated if one is provided.
“His method of operation involves using a female accomplice to rent vehicles, duplicate keys, install tracking devices, and later steal the vehicles after they are returned,” APD said. “The suspect would then fraudulently obtain Florida vehicle titles using counterfeit Texas titles and sell the stolen vehicles to unsuspecting buyers.”
On Sept. 8, APD said it was contacted by a security manager of a Houston rental car company about a stolen vehicle that was tracked to a dealership in south Austin.
That same day, APD said Carrington sold the stolen vehicle to a dealership in Austin for $17,000, using a fraudulent Florida title. The dealership was able to cancel the payment after being notified of the fraud, according to police, and the vehicle was secured.
Carrington was later arrested after returning to the dealership.
According to police, Carrington claimed to have purchased the vehicle and later decided to sell it to support his family; however, his statements were inconsistent.
“His statements, along with fraudulent documentation, confirmed that he unlawfully appropriated the vehicle,” APD said.
Travis County jail records showed Carrington was released from custody Sept. 10. As of Oct. 3, court records showed he had two active warrants on additional charges related to the same offense.
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