International racketeering trial set to begin

International racketeering trial set to begin The racketeering trial of a group of men accused of operating a massive South Florida car theft operation in which stolen cars and parts were allegedly shipped to the Dominican Republic is scheduled to begin Monday in State Circuit Court in Fort Lauderdale.
   The eight defendants, all from Miami-Dade County, face a total of 27 counts ranging from racketeering to grand theft, insurance fraud, and operating an illegal 'chop shop' where stolen vehicles were disassembled for parts, according to a report in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
   Members of the group were allegedly responsible for some 2,000 vehicle thefts in Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties, as well as in New York City, over a period of four years.
   The complicated trial is expected to last for about three months.