Stratford Men Tied To Car Theft Rings, Federal Officials Say

STRATFORD, CT — Two Stratford men are charged in connection with an FBI investigation of car theft rings in Connecticut, according to federal officials.

Christopher Mulkern, 21, and Edwin Cordero, 20, are accused of moving and possessing a stolen vehicle after the pair led police on multiple chases in a Porsche Panamera that the two stole, a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Connecticut said.

The FBI, state police and local law enforcement are investigating car theft rings, according to the news release, which said Mulkern, Cordero and others have stolen vehicles, and used them to travel across Connecticut and to neighboring states, and to steal vehicles and valuables such as credit cards, cellphones and guns. Mulkern and Cordero frequented upper middle-class neighborhoods, where they would go “car-checking” or “jigging,” — trying to open a car door and steal the vehicle or valuables inside, according to the news release.

The pair stole the Panamera on Dec. 1 from a home in Westport, the news release said. Shortly after midnight Dec. 2, police in Westerly, Rhode Island, identified the stolen Porsche and tried to stop the car, which was being driven recklessly at speeds of at least 86 mph between Rhode Island and Connecticut, according to the news release. Police were forced to stop the pursuit for safety reasons, the news release said.

Several hours later, about 4 a.m., Mulkern, Cordero and others used the Porsche to steal a Dodge Challenger from a home in Milford, the news release said. That evening, Stratford police tried to stop the Porsche, which then rammed a car, and drove up on a sidewalk and through a red light, hitting and flipping a second vehicle, according to the news release. The Porsche took Interstate 95 into Bridgeport, where Mulkern and Cordero were apprehended trying to enter a stolen Audi A4, the news release said.

A search of the Audi revealed more than 10 key fobs for other vehicles, and five cellphones were found in the Porsche, according to the news release. Mulkern had two stolen credit cards, and Cordero possessed a key fob for the stolen Dodge, which was later found parked in Bridgeport, the news release said.

Mulkern has been detained since Dec. 2, according to the news release, while Cordero was released after his state arrest, was arrested again on a federal complaint Dec. 15 and is free on a $30,000 bond.

A federal grand jury in New Haven indicted the duo Dec. 22, the news release said. Both men’s charges carry a maximum term of 10 years in prison, according to the news release. Mulkern and Cordero are scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 6 via videoconference.