Denver prosecutors have handed down indictments against 12 people, including two owners of local towing companies, accused of running a sprawling vehicle theft operation that relied on altered VINs, forged paperwork, and aggressive towing tactics targeting crash victims.

Oscar Salinas and Zaki Merhazi are facing the heaviest charges, with 187 counts between them tied to their alleged roles at the top of the operation. Investigators say the scheme ran from June 2023 through September 2026 and cost vehicle owners, dealerships, banks, insurance companies, and the state of Colorado roughly $2.5 million.

Exotic cars feature prominently in the case. The indictment alleges Salinas and an accomplice staged a fake carjacking of a rented Lamborghini Urus at a Dallas gas station in July 2025. The $184,000 SUV was driven to Colorado, wrapped in black vinyl over its white paint, and fitted with different wheels to disguise it. Merhazi reportedly held onto it for two months, and it has not been recovered.

A second Urus, allegedly taken from a Cadillac dealership in Fort Lauderdale, was given a tan-and-black wrap, new wheels, and a tampered VIN before investigators found it parked outside Salinas's home in Lakewood. A co-defendant was allegedly in the process of moving it using a stolen tow truck when it was discovered.

Salinas is also accused of altering the VIN on his personal 2015 Lamborghini Huracan, faking its theft, and collecting a $220,000 insurance payout — only for the car to turn up a month later at his girlfriend's residence in Denver.

The alleged theft list stretches far beyond luxury cars, encompassing Dodge Chargers, large pickup trucks, Mercedes-Benz and Audi vehicles, an Alfa Romeo Stelvio, a Corvette, a Cadillac Escalade, a Polaris Slingshot, a Hyundai Ioniq 6, a travel trailer, dump trailers, and a Peterbilt semi tractor. Five tow trucks were allegedly stolen from dealerships in Miami and New Jersey.

Many of the charges involve fabricated titles, registrations, and invoices that investigators say slipped past DMV and emissions employees throughout the Denver area. Six additional counts relate to predatory towing, with Salinas accused of showing up at crash scenes in March and April to convince drivers to hand over their vehicles, then charging release fees as steep as $8,000. One victim said she managed to retrieve her truck for under $1,200 after refusing to cave to pressure.

The year-long investigation was led by the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority's task force, with support from the state's Division of Motor Vehicles, the Public Utilities Commission, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Merhazi and two co-defendants are scheduled for hearings Friday, while Salinas is due in court October 29. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Source: MotorBiscuit

See also our earlier piece: Lamborghini Honors 60 Years of the Miura & Sets A New Performance Benchmark with the Revuelto SV