GBI: Marion County man arrested for operating chop shop
BUENA VISTA, Ga. (WTVM) - A Marion County man has been arrested and charged with multiple crimes for the operation of a chop shop, says the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
45-year-old Mezquite Ramirez was arrested on August 10 following a search warrant execution at a Buena Vista residence.
GBI says three vehicles with fake vehicle identification numbers were seized, and multiple firearms and over $75,000 in cash were also found in the home.
His charges are as follows:
- Three counts of buying, selling, receiving, concealing, using, possessing, or disposing of a motor vehicle or part thereof from which identification has been removed or altered
- Theft by receiving stolen property - automobile
- Possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime
According to authorities, on August 3, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) State Bureau of Investigation asked for GBI’s help in a multi-state chop shop operation.
With the help of the GBI and Columbus Police Department, ALEA completed a joint investigation resulting in Ramirez’s arrest.
Once the case is finished, GBI will turn it over to the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit for prosecution.
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