Josiah Capetillo
By KATHRYN PALON
Contributing Writer
A Jackson man was sentenced to prison this month for his role in a criminal organization responsible for stealing vehicles across Michigan.
Josiah Capetillo, 24, was sentenced March 13 by Judge Sarah Lincoln in 37th District Court to 3 to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to conducting a criminal enterprise, according to the Michigan attorney general’s office. Capetillo entered his plea in December.
Authorities said Capetillo was part of an organized theft ring that targeted vehicles at multiple locations across the state in the summer of 2023. Investigators linked him to seven vehicle thefts from the Chrysler Chelsea Proving Grounds, FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek, and dealerships in Rockford, Bay City, Schoolcraft Township and Wyoming.
Capetillo sold stolen vehicles for profit, officials said.
A co-defendant, Brendan McClure, 24, also of Jackson, pleaded guilty Jan. 29 to one count of operating a chop shop and two counts of receiving or concealing a stolen motor vehicle. Prosecutors said McClure operated a chop shop out of a large barn in Marshall, where stolen vehicles were dismantled and sold for parts.
Both men were initially charged in April 2025.
The case was investigated by the Michigan Department of Attorney General’s Focused Organized Retail Crime Enforcement Team, known as the FORCE Team, along with the Michigan State Police South West Auto Theft Team.
“Organized criminal networks that carry out vehicle thefts not only have an impact on the victims but also on the overall safety of our state,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. She praised investigators for their work and said her office would continue efforts to dismantle similar operations.
McClure is scheduled to be sentenced April 17 in 37th District Court.
The FORCE Team was established in January 2023 to target criminal organizations that steal goods for resale. The unit includes assistant attorneys general, special agents and Michigan State Police detectives and partners with federal agencies including the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Officials said the unit works closely with retailers and local law enforcement to combat organized retail crime. Corporate partners in recent investigations have included Walmart, Meijer, Target, Home Depot, Amazon and Lowe’s, among others.
