Man tied to more than $300,000 in stolen cars sentenced to 18 months in prison

A 33-year-old man tied to more than $300,000 in stolen cars was sentenced to 18 months in prison Sept. 27.

Andrew W. Smith, pleaded guilty to attempting to elude police and two counts of motor vehicle theft, according to court records.

Smith admitted to stealing keys from dealerships around Spokane, including BMW of Spokane, Downtown Toyota and Foothills Mazda, and returning to drive them off the lot, according to court records.

Spokane police tied to him seven different car thefts, but suspect him of many more, according to a news release.

Smith also led police on a high-speed chase in July 2018 in a Toyota Tacoma he stole from a car dealership, according to court records. An officer had to stop the pursuit because the truck was traveling at an estimated speed of 75 mph on a 25 mph residential street.