Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Busts Title-Washing Ring, Arrests Suspect After Year-Long Investigation

Liz Shultz – Local BN February 3, 2025

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) has arrested a man accused of running a sophisticated title-washing ring following an extensive, nearly year-long investigation. The operation, led by the HCSO Auto Theft Unit, uncovered a scheme involving fraudulent vehicle titles, stolen cars, and altered vehicle identification numbers (VINs).

The investigation began in March 2024 when deputies responded to the Plant City Tax Collector’s Office after Essa Cham, 46, attempted to use a fraudulent South Carolina title to retitle a 2022 Mercedes GLE 350 in Florida.

This incident prompted detectives to dig deeper, ultimately leading them to Ahmed Njie, 40, the alleged mastermind behind the operation.

Njie, along with co-defendants Czedsia Simon, 45, and Seynabou Sall, 42, is accused of “re-vining” vehicles—replacing legitimate VINs with fraudulent ones—to fraudulently retitle stolen or otherwise illegally obtained vehicles in Florida.

On June 2, 2024, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a Range Rover, a vehicle of interest in the investigation. The driver initially provided a false name but was later identified as Njie. He was arrested and charged with providing a false name to law enforcement and driving with a canceled, suspended, or revoked license.

Upon inspecting the Range Rover, detectives discovered multiple fraudulent VIN stickers. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle had been reported stolen by the Lake City Police Department on June 18, 2022.

Detectives uncovered evidence suggesting Njie had been in possession of at least seven vehicles, including two Mercedes-Benz models, a Toyota, a Genesis, a Jeep, a Dodge, and the Range Rover. Five of these vehicles had been re-vined, and three were reported stolen. One vehicle was fraudulently titled in Florida using a fake identity.

Njie, who was out on bond at the time, was arrested again on January 28, 2025, and now faces a slew of charges, including:

RICO Violation
RICO Conspiracy or Endeavor
Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
Grand Theft Motor Vehicle (three counts)
Forged Motor Vehicle or Mobile Home Title
Sell or Possess Vehicle with Altered Numbers (six counts)
Knowingly Use Altered or Forged Title (three counts)

Sheriff Chad Chronister commended the detectives for their diligent work in dismantling the fraudulent operation.

“The diligent work of our detectives has led to the dismantling of this fraudulent operation,” Chronister said. “Let this arrest send a message that criminal schemes will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.”

The investigation remains active.

Read the full article here.