Rhode Island Man Sentenced to Prison for Stealing and Selling Luxury Car Tires and Rims

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL FARIAS, 57, of Providence, Rhode Island, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for stealing tires and rims from new vehicles at car dealerships in northeastern states and then selling the stolen items to individuals across the country.

According to court documents and statement made in court, between May 2015 and August 2018, Farias and others stole thousands of dollars’ worth of tires and rims from numerous luxury vehicles at car dealerships in Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and Maine.  The co-conspirators then sold the stolen goods to others around the U.S.

Farias was arrested on November 17, 2020.  On November 10, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.

Farias, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on April 14.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Shelton, Milford, Waterbury, Stonington, Vernon, Darien, Westchester County (N.Y.), Bedford (N.Y.) and Portland (Maine) Police Departments, and the York County (Maine) Sheriff’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Boyles.