Car theft investigation leads to Spokane Valley homes

Elaine Karr walked out the front door of her Spokane Valley home and pointed an angry finger at one of the houses that Washington State Patrol troopers had just raided Thursday morning.

She’s had enough of the parked cars blocking her garage, the late night visits and noisy work on running engines at all hours of the night coming from 1406 and 1409 N. Lily Road, she said.

“You can’t help but see what’s going on,” said Karr, who watched last week as her neighbors covered a red and white GMC with black spray paint. “Each time, there is a bunch that comes and goes. I told my husband they are up to something.”

Troopers and deputies from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security raided the two houses on North Lily and another at 3519 N. Pit Road, Trooper Jim Hays said. The Department of Homeland Security was involved because it is believed that federal laws were violated.

The goal of the raids was to break up a suspected car-theft ring that included a process called title washing, he said. In that scam, car thieves take the vehicle identification numbers from wrecked or discarded cars and put them in stolen cars.

The thieves can then make up fraudulent titles using the false VINs. With the new – or “washed” – titles, the thieves can then sell the cars to new owners who then register them under their names, Hays said.

“We’ve got some cars we are reasonably certain that the titles have been washed on,” Hays said. “But proving they are stolen is going to take more time to determine than just showing up and checking VINs.”

Just after dozens of troopers hit both houses on North Lily, a black Mitsubishi drove up to the road block, turned around and drove away.

Trooper Hays jumped in his patrol car and pulled over the driver at Park Road and Broadway Avenue.

The driver, 34-year-old Brenda Lynch, was later taken into custody on charges including possession of a controlled substance, possession of stolen property and forgery, Hays said. She was later released, but more charges are expected.

The scheme was so elaborate, Hays said, that in some cases Lynch forged bills of sales, got them notarized and transferred the titles with state Department of Licensing – all before the vehicles were stolen.

Lynch called the raid unfounded and said troopers would eventually owe her an apology.

“This is ridiculous. My car is not stolen,” Lynch said from the back of Hays’ patrol car. “I guess I’ll have the last laugh because my car is 100 percent legal. I’ve got the title in the car.”

Lynch said that she’s short on money and was on her way Thursday to get a title loan. She never got the cash.

“My family is going to have a cow seeing this on the news,” she continued. “This is crazy.”

But neighbors argue that all the activity at the two homes has been crazy.

“I call it ‘Midnight Auto Supply,’ ” said 74-year-old Nancy Evans. “They leave with a trailer and come back with a car. I just yell, ‘Get a life.’ “

Her son, Terry Evans, 55, said he remembers last winter when the neighbors brought home a black 1978 Ford pickup that had been fully restored.

“They waited until dark and swapped motors out of it,” he said. “Every time they bring in a new car, I hear them grinding.”

Dozens of cars were parked in front, on the side and behind the two homes. Troopers found at least two vehicles that had missing or altered VINs. Inside one Mazda, the VIN, which was pressed into the metal firewall between the engine and the interior, was simply covered with duct tape.

Neighbor Tom Mogan, 44, said he wasn’t surprised to see the armada of police cars Thursday. He just purchased his home on North Lily a month ago but said he’s seen enough.

About two weeks ago, the neighbors placed a new red SUV under a tarp behind the 1409 N. Lily home. Then a few days ago, the neighbors towed in the burned-out hulk of an SUV that was the same make and model.

The SUV under the tarp “disappeared two days ago,” Mogan said. “I saw this going on and I thought, ‘God, what have I got myself into.’ Hopefully, the neighborhood will get cleaned up now.”

The WSP is looking for two people who live at one of the Lily Road addresses. Hays asked that anyone with information on the whereabouts of Dwayne Christopherson, 36, and Melanie Richart, 35, call WSP at (509) 456-4101.