The Great Syracuse Vanishing: When 47 Avis Cars Just Drove Away

Imagine, if you will, a scenario that feels plucked straight from a heist film, yet played out over months in a seemingly ordinary storage lot. This isn't fiction, though. No, this is the story of how 47 Avis rental vehicles—yes, forty-seven—worth a staggering $2.5 million, simply vanished from a secure Avis Budget Group lot in East Syracuse, New York. And what a tale it is, a truly head-scratching episode.

It unfolded gradually, a slow bleed of assets, between March and September of 2023. Thieves, apparently rather brazen ones, managed to gain entry to the storage facility, then, almost too easily, it seems, retrieved keys from a key box. Then, one by one, or perhaps in small batches, they just… drove off. You’d think such a thing would be noticed immediately, wouldn’t you? But, in truth, the colossal scale of the loss only truly came to light through an internal company audit, a discovery that undoubtedly sent shivers through corporate headquarters.

By September, when the full extent of the operation was finally pieced together, law enforcement was brought into the loop. The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office took up the case, diving into what must have felt like an intricate puzzle. How does a fleet of nearly 50 vehicles disappear under the very nose of a major corporation?

Well, credit where credit is due, the investigation has, for once, yielded some significant results. Three individuals have been arrested and charged in connection with this audacious crime. There's Jamal J. Washington, 33, who authorities allege was particularly busy, reportedly swiping at least 25 of those missing cars himself. Michael A. Jackson, also 33, and Kevin G. Johnson, 37, are the other two facing charges. They’re looking at grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, serious stuff, indeed.

The recovery effort is ongoing, a slow and painstaking process, but at least 12 of the vehicles have been located so far. Some were even found far afield, in other states, which only hints at the organized nature of this whole affair. Avis Budget Group, a titan in the car rental industry with brands like Avis, Budget, Zipcar, and Payless under its umbrella, has understandably remained tight-lipped, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.

It leaves you wondering, doesn't it? About security protocols, about oversight, about the sheer audacity required to pull off something like this. Forty-seven vehicles. Gone. It’s a testament, perhaps, to both the ingenuity of criminals and, dare we say, a certain lapse in vigilance somewhere along the line. And so, the story continues, as investigators work to bring the rest of the missing cars—and, presumably, any other involved parties—to justice.