Bike ring ruled city
The massive 33-defendant gun and stolen-motorcycle trafficking ring taken down by cops and the Manhattan DA’s Office accounted for half the bikes swiped in the city this past year, authorities said yesterday.
“The streets served as outdoor showrooms where the crews went shopping,” said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
The motorcycles would be loaded into vans, often themselves stolen.
Sixty-three of the motorcycles were recovered following the 17-month investigation, along with 17 guns, four of which were assault weapons, authorities said.
The highly organized enterprise included vehicle escorts that would divert attention from the getaway vans by driving erratically if cops were spotted. And, one of the perp’s own grandmothers acted as a lookout, officials said.
The value of just the recovered bikes topped $500,000.
