BATON ROUGE — Two Lafayette men who previously pleaded guilty in a multi-state conspiracy to transport a stolen motor vehicle were sentenced on Monday. 

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced on Dec. 19 that Dennis Sizemore, 54, and Gregory Brazell, 41, pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to a theft ring that was uncovered after a shoplifting arrest at Juban Crossing Shopping Mall in 2022.

The investigation led to the arrest of 55-year-old Dennis Sizemore and 41-year-old Gregory Brazell, along with 42-year-old Christopher Byerley and 35-year-old Adrienne King.

All four were found to have carried out a coordinated operation extending across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas in which the group stole then used or sold the stolen and altered vehicles, including tractors, excavators, forklifts and a pickup truck valued at over $250,000.

According to the Department of Justice, the conspiracy involved tampering with Vehicle Identification Numbers, the use of a chop shop, fraudulent documentation, false business fronts and stolen identities to sell stolen equipment. 

Sizemore was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, with Brazell receiving a sentence of 33 months. Both men were sentenced to serve three years of supervised release following their imprisonment. Additionally, Sizemore was ordered to pay $92,500 in restitution and Brazell was ordered to pay $95,000.