Police seek car theft ring suspect

BERRIEN SPRINGS, Mich. (WOOD) - Numerous state and federal law enforcement agencies continue to search for a man wanted in connection with a multimillion-dollar, interstate car theft ring.

In late July, Berrien Springs Officer Russ Robbins stopped a vehicle traveling 87 miles per hour in a 70 mile per hour zone along U.S. 31.

The suspect was Paul Abbott, 48, from Evanston, Ill., and the car was a brand new 2012 Chrysler 300. He was unable to produce all the necessary paperwork for the vehicle, according to a news release.

Officer Robbins requested a police K-9 unit drug dog to the scene to assist in the investigation. Officer Shane Daniels, from the Niles City Police Department, responded with their dog.  

Once Abbott found out a drug dog had been called, he fled the traffic stop in the car, reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph. He then pulled over and stopped again.

Officers believe that during this time Abbott was throwing contraband out of the car window into the wind that ultimately couldn't be located.

Police eventually caught up with Abbott's vehicle. The drug dog alerted officers to a now empty satchel in the car. The car was impounded for further investigation and Abbott was taken to the Berrien County Jail on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle, and fleeing and eluding police.

A drug dog from the Baroda Lake Township Police Department checked the vehicle and alerted to the same area and satchel.

The Michigan State Police Homeland Security Team was asked to check the car for hidden compartments, with none being found.

During this time it was discovered that the VIN plate on the dashboard did not match a hidden VIN located elsewhere on the car. However, both VINs came back to the same type of vehicle.

Upon checking the VIN on the dashboard, it showed that the car was owned by another car dealership in Illinois.

After police contacted the dealer, it was learned that the owner of that dealership was currently driving the car with the same VIN (as being displayed in the front window) as the one police had in their possession. The two cars were identical down to their color. The hidden VIN returned and showed the car belonged to Napelton Chrysler in Lansing, Ill. Upon calling the dealership, police learned the business' new 2012 Chrysler 300 had been stolen in May.

Abbott was eventually released from custody, and returned to Berrien Springs on multiple occasions attempting to obtain the car using forged documentation showing that he was the owner, along with other counterfeit documents, police said.

This stolen car was part of an interstate multimillion-dollar car theft scheme based in Illinois where forged VIN plates were being made and placed on identical cars and then sold.

Abbott is wanted on multiple warrants for his involvement in this theft ring. The case remains under investigation by these police agencies -- Berrien Springs, Oronoko Township, Niles, Michigan State Police, Baroda Lake Township, and Lansing, Ill.

You are asked to call authorities if you can help solve this investigation.