NEWARK, N.J. – Malik Baker, a 30-year-old from Vauxhall, New Jersey, has been sentenced to 41 months in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy that targeted luxury cars across New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. The announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger.
Baker, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and receiving a stolen vehicle that had crossed state lines, received his sentence from U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court. His co-conspirators, Hakeem Smith, Nafique Goodwyn, and Bilal Cureton, have also faced legal proceedings for their roles in the scheme, with Smith being sentenced to 41 months, Goodwyn to time served, and Cureton awaiting sentencing.
The theft ring, active since at least July 2019, was responsible for the theft of at least 10 luxury vehicles, utilizing the stolen cars in further thefts. Notable incidents include the use of a stolen Maserati GranTurismo in the theft of additional vehicles, which culminated in a collision with a police vehicle during an attempted stop.
Law enforcement efforts led to the recovery of one of the stolen vehicles in a shipping container at the Newark port, bound for Ghana, Africa. In addition to his prison term, Judge Salas sentenced Baker to three years of supervised release, concluding a significant case of cross-state luxury vehicle theft.