Yearlong inquiry fingers 39 suspects
Las Vegas police and federal agents swept through the valley Tuesday, arresting dozens of people after a yearlong undercover investigation into stolen cars, guns and identities.
The arrests wrapped up Operation Bad Company, a joint effort by the Metropolitan Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Secret Service and other agencies.
The operation, which focused on career criminals, involved setting up undercover detectives in a house and posing as fencers for stolen goods, said Lt. Dave Logue with the Police Department's Criminal Intelligence Section.
The operation identified 39 suspects, including those arrested Tuesday. Logue said 29 suspects are in custody, seven remain at large and three others are expected to be charged in the near future.
Authorities recovered multiple stolen vehicles worth about $440,000, 15 stolen guns and hundreds of stolen driver's licenses, passports and other identification documents. Most of the items were taken during burglaries and home invasions, he said.
About 10 of the suspects were involved in a home invasion ring in the northwest valley, he said.
Most of the suspects were convicted felons, and many had violent histories.
"I'd say they're pretty dangerous," he said.
Among those charged in the operation was Jason James Dillinger, who in January led Las Vegas police on an hourlong high-speed chase throughout the valley.
The chase ended at the Suncoast, where Dillinger pointed a gun at a casino security guard.
Dillinger led the chase in a stolen car that he was supposed to sell to undercover detectives the next day, Logue said.
Contact reporter Brian Haynes at bhaynes@review
journal.com or 702-383-0281.
