Serial Car Thieves Cloned Electronic Keys to Steal 61 Vehicles

by Kevin Deutsch July 27, 2022

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Daronn Grant, Ryan Hamitt, and Stokley Lawrence. {BSO}

By Kevin Deutsch

Three serial car thieves, including one from Tamarac and another from Margate, face racketeering and grand theft charges for operating a major car theft ring based in Broward County, court records allege.

Ryan Hamitt, 41, of 5654 Rock Island Rd. in Tamarac, Stokley Lawrence, 29, of 280 SW 56th Ave. in Margate, and Daronn Grant, 37, of 3941 NW 47th Ave. in Lauderdale Lakes, were involved in the thefts of at least 61 vehicles, either working individually or with others, as part of the vehicle theft conspiracy, according to the records filed by Lauderhill Police and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Prosecutors charged Grant with 36 charges of racketeering and grand theft, Lawrence with 34 charges, and Hamitt with six charges, the records show.

Investigators said the thieves used programming devices to clone electronic keys to steal the cars, most of which have not been recovered.

Most of the vehicle thefts happened in 2017 and 2018, police said.

Records show the men were booked into the Broward Main Jail and released on unspecified bonds.

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Author Profile

Kevin Deutsch

Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning journalist and author of two nonfiction books. He covers general assignment news and Jewish community issues for Talk Media. He has also worked as a staff writer at The Miami Times, the Rio Grande SUN, the New York Daily News, Newsday, The Miami Herald, The Palm Beach Post, The Riverdale Press, and Bronx Justice News.