2 accused of operating chop shop, marijuana operation in Detroit charged

Two men accused of operating a chop shop and a marijuana-growing operation in Detroit have been charged, according to officials and court records.

Fadi Abi-Fakhreddine, 58, of Ypsilanti and Calvin Lamont Pickett Jr., 43, of Bloomfield Hills were both arraigned on charges Thursday in 36th District Court in Detroit.

Each were charged with a count of conducting a criminal enterprise, 12 counts of intent to pass a false vehicle title and 12 counts of receiving and concealing stolen property. The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office charged the men with the crimes on Wednesday.

They each stood mute and a magistrate entered a not guilty plea. A magistrate set bond for each at $30,000. The court also scheduled their next court date, a probable cause conference, for March 29. A preliminary examination was scheduled for April 5.

If convicted, they each face up to 20 years in prison for conducting a criminal enterprise, 10 years for each count of intent to pass a false title and up to five years for each count of receiving and concealing stolen property.

Police said on March 3 that they arrested Abi-Fakhreddine and Pickett when they executed a search warrant the previous day at the auto parts store they own near Schaefer and Joy.

Their arrests stem from a Nov. 25, 2019, report of a vehicle stolen from a home in the 13800 block of Mecca near Plymouth Road and Schaefer Highway on Detroit's west side. An investigation led police to their store. During the raid, officers found fraudulent paperwork indicating the business was being used to scrap stolen vehicles.