'They Will Not Be Charged': Police Seek Those Who Purchased Vehicle From Man Accused Of Auto Theft In Oklahoma

Tulsa Police arrested a man for auto theft on Thursday who is tied to at least 46 stolen cars, and they believe many more.

The cars were stolen from several states and often sold in Tulsa, where police believe many are still on the road.

The suspect Randall Liggins, was accused of leading Owasso and Tulsa police on a chase and avoiding arrest until Thursday.

“There are a large number of vehicles out on the road that are unaccounted for, so we're asking the public if they've bought a from Mr. Liggins that they contact the TPD auto theft unit," said Lt. Chase Calhoun with Tulsa Police.

Liggins was identified as part of a large-scale investigation launched in 2023 for stolen vehicles across Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri, worth more than $13 million.

"They will not be arrested, they will not be charged, but if they purchased a vehicle from Mr. Liggins, we need to look at this vehicle and determine if it's stolen," Lt. Calhoun said.

Liggins was arrested outside a pawn shop with a stolen car according to court records, and earlier this week was the subject of a manhunt in Owasso after a police chase of another stolen car.

Related: Auto-Theft Suspect Arrested 1 Day After Police Chase In Owasso

“I won't say he's the biggest fish, but he is pretty active,” said Lt. Calhoun, who said the operation involved changing VIN plates with others and falsifying paperwork so buyers often didn’t know the car was stolen.

Lt. Calhoun also believes some buyers did know.

"Many of the cars came from dealerships," said Lt. Calhoun." Others were taken from individuals and most were late-model, expensive cars. He said police have recovered several dozen cars.

Liggins has served time for car theft, and is now being held in jail in Tulsa County.

Lt. Calhoun said the original owner of the car isn't the only victim, because insurance companies lose money and whoever buys the car runs the risk of losing it.

“Whether it's a car dealer or a sole individual, who loses the vehicle from the theft,” said Calhoun. "Then we have victims being defrauded because they bought a vehicle with title and paperwork, but essentially the vehicle, it's stolen, so in many cases, they won't be legally able to retain the vehicle.”