Man who hacked and exploited keyless car system to steal vehicle in Fareham and several in Sussex jailed
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A man who admitted to stealing a vehicle in Fareham by exploiting its keyless car system has been jailed - while also going on a thieving spree in West Sussex.
Aaron Moth, 34, has been put behind bars following a lengthy police investigation. Sean Owen, 36, also admitted to conspiracy to steal motor vehicles, but was given a suspended sentence.
The Fareham theft took place in Hunts Pond Road on December 2, 2020. A spree of cars were taken across Lancing, Littlehampton, Worthing, Findon, and Goring, happened between January 2020 and December 2021.
Moth and Owen particularly targeted Land Rovers and aimed to flog the vehicles after stealing them. The pair were arrested and appeared at Lewes Crown Court for sentencing for their role in the theft of seven vehicles.
Owen, a former mechanic of Bramble Lane, Worthing, was stopped by police while driving in a suspected stolen vehicle. His address was searched and officers discovered he shared information on how to hack keyless entry vehicles.
Evidence linked him to Moth, a former roofer of Burndell Road, Yapton, which revealed a conspiracy and showed how the pair were targeting keyless entry vehicles. In one case, a victim and a friend traced a stolen vehicle from Lancing to Littlehampton - confronting the two men at the location.
The victims identified Moth, who dropped his mobile phone when trying to flee the area. Sussex Police officers found evidence of additional planned car thefts on this phone. Moth admitted conspiracy to steal a motor vehicle and conspiracy to receive stolen goods. He was jailed for two years and four months.
Owen admitted a charge of conspiracy to receive stolen goods. He received a one-year suspended sentence and was ordered to complete 12 months of alcohol dependency treatment and ten Rehabilitation Activity Requirement sessions. The court also ordered him to pay £800 in costs and a £149 surcharge.
Detective Inspector Louise Baileff said: “Moth and Owen were targeting keyless entry vehicles by overriding on board systems. While we were able to recover some of the vehicles, we know that vehicle thefts have a considerable ongoing impact on owners. In this case, victims told us of the stress of feeling they had been targeted, the inconvenience of not having their vehicle, and the hidden costs such as incurring debts or ongoing higher insurance costs.
“We were determined to get justice for the victims in this case, and following a lengthy investigation we were able to show the role in the conspiracy that Moth and Owen played. Criminals continue to target keyless entry vehicles for use in theft and criminality, and our teams are working hard to disrupt criminal groups using our roads to steal these vehicles.
“Owners can also take the simple steps such as keeping key fobs in Faraday bags and using a steering wheel lock to help prevent crime. We also ask communities to be vigilant to these kind of incidents, and to report any suspicious behaviour to us to inform our policing response.”