#Crime

Vladimir Antonov, the Russian “businessman” who attempted to buy Saab earlier in the year, has been arrested in England over charges of involvement in a massive money laundering scheme in Lithuania.

A Michigan man, David Allan Proffitt, has been sent to jail in Texas after he was accused of embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from an Ann Arbor, MI Lexus dealership.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau released its Hot Wheels report today, listing the 10 most stolen vehicles in the United States. The report examins vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center to determine the most reported stolen cars.

This 22-year old kid thought he could get away with grand theft auto, but little did he learn that crime doesn’t pay!

One of OnStar’s advertising points is the reassurance that if your car gets stolen, it can not only track where it ends up, but also deactivate it instantly. Turns out, it’s not just a load of advertising malarky.

A man in Sydney, Australia nearly got away with a stolen Mitsubishi Lancer—if he hadn’t left his driver’s license behind. D’oh!

Police in Seattle, Washington are using Twitter to help fight auto theft by making it easier to publicly broadcast stolen vehicle reports, and allowing citizens to keep an eye out for the cars in question.

Formula 1 evil villain head honcho Bernie Ecclestone was injured after a mugging that took place outside his London home. Ecclestone suffered a head injury after being kicked and punched on Wednesday night. The muggers made off with jewelery and watches.

A man in East St. Louis, Illinois, went on a shooting rampage, armed only with an AK-47, a Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible and his birthday suit. The PT Cruiser ended up rolled over after the thief crashed it and used it as cover while he fired at police officers attempting to arrest him.

While harming civillians and law enforcement officials is totally reprehensible, this might be the most badass action ever committed with a PT Cruiser. The PT Cruiser’s distant relative, the Chrysler Lebaron convertible, also had a bit of urban noteriety when Eazy-E commandeered one in the “ Straight Outta Compton” video.

Video after the jump.

[Source: Jalopnik]

The National Insurance Crime Bureau released their list of the top 10 stolen cars for 2009 , and the perenial favorites, the Honda Accord, Honda Civic and Toyota Camry are in the Top 10 yet again, taking the top 3 spots respectively.

The trade in spare parts, and in the Honda’s case, engines, make them valuable commodities, and the cars are also desirable for export to Third World countries. Pick-up trucks were also in demand, as each of the Big Three’s brands were represented, as well as the Ford Explorer.

The good news is that car thefts are down 17.1 percent, and have been declining for the past 6 years.

[Source: NCIB]