WAYNE, Mich. (FOX 2) - The owner of a Wayne tow yard is accused of running a chop after multiple stolen vehicles were allegedly found crushed on the property.
Mohamad El-Hadi, 41, of Canton, was recently charged with operating a chop shop and three counts of receiving and concealing a stolen motor vehicle, while one of his employees, Dani Mourad, 44, of Dearborn Heights, is charged with one count of receiving and concealing a stolen motor vehicle.
The backstory:
According to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, El-Hadi owns Hadi’s Cash for Cars. Authorities determined that he was operating a chop shop after at least three stolen vehicles - a 2009 Kia Sorrento, a 2013 Honda Odyssey, and a 2017 Buick Encore - were found crushed in the business' tow yard.
While El-Hadi allegedly owns and operates the business, Mourad is accused of being involved in picking up one of the stolen vehicles.
Both suspects were arraigned last week. El-Hadi was given a $25,000 personal recognizance bond, while Mourad's PR bond was set at $15,000. They are both due back in court Aug. 18.
"The Auto Fraud Task Force was created to tackle exactly this kind of alleged criminal activity," Nessel said. "By embedding prosecutors directly within the Michigan State Police, we can continue dismantling auto theft and chop shop operations that threaten communities across our state."
The Source: This information is from a press release from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
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