A US-based Gambian man, Ahmed Njie, 40, has been arrested in Florida following a year-long police investigation into a sophisticated vehicle theft and fraud operation.

Njie was arrested alongside Czedsia Simon, 45, and Seynabou Sall, 42, and is accused of “re-vining”—a process of replacing legitimate vehicle identification numbers (VINs) with fraudulent ones to retitle stolen or illegally obtained vehicles.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), the Auto Theft Unit uncovered a network involved in forging vehicle titles, trafficking stolen cars, and altering VINs.

The investigation began in March 2024 when another Gambian man, Essa Cham, 46, attempted to retitle a 2022 Mercedes GLE 350 using a fake South Carolina title at the Plant City Tax Collector’s Office. This incident led detectives to Njie, described as the alleged ringleader.

On June 2, 2024, deputies stopped a Range Rover connected to the case. The driver, later identified as Njie, initially gave a false name and was arrested for providing false identification and driving with a suspended license. The vehicle was found to have multiple fake VIN stickers and had been reported stolen in 2022.

Further investigations revealed Njie had access to at least seven vehicles—five of which were re-vined and three confirmed stolen. One vehicle had been fraudulently titled using a fake identity.

Njie, who was out on bond at the time, was re-arrested on January 28, 2025, and now faces multiple felony charges, including:

• RICO Violation
• RICO Conspiracy
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
• Three counts of Grand Theft Motor Vehicle
• Forged Motor Vehicle or Mobile Home Title
• Six counts of Selling or Possessing Vehicle with Altered Numbers
• Three counts of Knowingly Using a Forged or Altered Title

Sheriff Chad Chronister praised his team’s efforts, saying: “The diligent work of our detectives has led to the dismantling of this fraudulent operation. Let this arrest serve as a warning—criminal schemes will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent.”