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NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JONATHAN BUSH (“BUSH”), age 35, was sentenced on February 16, 2023, for conspiring to transport and sell stolen vehicles in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.

According to court documents, BUSH and his co-conspirators stole cars from car dealerships and rental car facilities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and George.  After the cars were stolen, BUSH and his co-conspirators would retitle the cars under fraudulent Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINS) with the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles.  After the cars were retitled and cloned with fraudulent VINS, the defendants would then resell the cars to buyers in the New Orleans metro area at discounted prices.

U.S. District Court Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown sentenced BUSH to serve (60) months in prison, to be followed by three (3) years of supervised release and imposed a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.  The Court also set a restitution hearing in this matter for April 20, 2023.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security, the Louisiana State Police, the D’Iberville Police Department, and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Spiro G. Latsis and Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit are in charge of the prosecution.