RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KGTV) — A San Diego man is facing multiple charges in connection to a multi-million dollar scheme involving the theft of luxury cars throughout Riverside County.
On Thursday, 47-year-old Dean Watters of San Diego pleaded not guilty to 12 felonies with charges including embezzlement, car theft and buying or receiving stolen vehicles, a release sent by the Riverside District Attorney's Office said.
Riverside County's Deputy District Attorney filed a second amended complaint on Thursday for 25-year-old Kendall Jamison Clark of Murrieta. The release said the complaint now has 30 felony charges for Clark following the discovery and recovery of additional stolen cars.
Some of the cars that Clark took were a 2021 Porsche Boxter, a 2021 Lamborghini Aventador, a 2022 Tesla Model Y and a 2022 Lamborghini Urus.
Riverside Auto-Theft Interdiction Detail (RAID) investigators initiated their investigations in September, following reports from several luxury car owners who reported that Clark never returned their vehicles.
When the owners tried to report their cars as stolen, they learned their names were taken off the titles, the release said.
Clark was arrested in San Diego on Oct. 18. Following his arrest, investigators found Watters purchasing the vehicles that Clark stole at various locations throughout Riverside County for prices lower than their actual value.
The release said Watters paid Clark for a group of cars and took them to other locations, including Mexico, where he attempted to resell them. RAID members arrested Watters at the San Diego International Airport on Nov. 27, where he tried to depart to San Francisco.
Watters has a return date for a felony settlement conference and bail review on Dec. 8 and is held on $1 million bail at the Southwest Detention Center.
Clark pleaded not guilty to all charges prior and was released from custody on $250,000 bail. His return date is Dec. 14 for a felony settlement conference at the Southwest Justice Center.
