Gang steals motorcycles worth $1.3m in broad daylight and posts the footage online, then a judge watches their videos and gives them 24 years

Four men from Bristol, England, were sentenced to a combined 24 years in prison after pleading guilty to a series of motorcycle thefts and related violent offenses, according to Avon and Somerset Police. 

The group, which called itself the “Repo Gang,” allegedly stole 27 motorcycles and mopeds between June and December 2025, with the estimated value of the stolen vehicles put at £590,496.49 though prosecutors noted this figure did not include damages or attempted thefts, according to Bristol Live. Across both currencies and estimates cited by police and the court, the total value of vehicles identified as stolen ranged between £600,000 and £1 million.

Brobible estimates the worth of stolen motorcycles at $1.3 million. Marshall Thomas, 18, Brandon Carter, 22, Cameron Stevens, 22, and Sonnie Davies, 20, all from the Hartcliffe area of Bristol, were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court, per the police. They also stated that Thomas received the longest sentence of 10 years, Carter received eight years and was also disqualified from driving for six years, while Stevens and Davies each received three years.

The gang’s social media posts became evidence against them

The defendants faced charges beyond motorcycle theft. Thomas and Carter, along with Davies, were also reportedly convicted of kidnapping and carrying out a violent assault on a 15-year-old child, whom the group believed had stolen one of their bikes from their storage location, according to prosecutors cited by Bristol Live. The court reportedly heard that the three filmed themselves beating and stamping on the child, leaving serious injuries to the victim’s face and head.

According to Avon and Somerset Police, Thomas, Carter, and Stevens carried out their thefts in broad daylight in public areas, using angle grinders and screwdrivers to bypass steering locks, immobilizers, and physical security devices. 

They reportedly used stolen motorcycles to scout areas known for having high-value bikes parked nearby. Members of the public or victims who tried to intervene were allegedly threatened by the defendants. Similar brazen daylight thefts of valuable vehicles, like a boat stolen in California, show this is a widespread problem.

After stealing the bikes, the group would reportedly take them to a secure location, strip and replace security systems, and then advertise them for sale, often on social media. In one incident in September, Thomas, Stevens, and Carter reportedly attempted to rob a victim outside Ashton Gate Stadium, during which the victim sustained cuts to his ear that required stitches.

The group’s social media activity is said to have ultimately contributed to their prosecution. According to the police, the defendants posted footage of the thefts online, including videos of themselves performing stunts on stolen motorcycles on public roads. 

Prosecuting barrister Gregory Gordon told the court, “They glorify the thefts of the bikes and show them being joyridden away from the scene,” according to Bristol Live. Criminals often underestimate how their online presence, like a social media comedian’s distinctive walk, can lead directly to their arrest.

Judge Peter Blair KC, the Recorder of Bristol, said he had personally watched the videos before delivering his sentencing remarks. “You were completely bold in your attitude,” he told the defendants. 

“There were broad daylight offences in public areas, where you took with you angle grinders and screwdrivers. Your conduct clearly was thrill seeking as well as financially motivated. You glorified your activities by uploading TikTok videos, Mr Thomas, to an account which gave a nickname that called yourselves the Repossession Gang. Mr Carter used Instagram under the name Lock It and Still Loose It.” 

The judge said the defendants demonstrated “extraordinary boldness and a complete lack of remorse” during their crimes. One victim, whose motorcycle was stolen from outside a train station, gave a statement to the court describing the financial and emotional toll the theft had on his family. 

“This offence hit us at a point when we had very little room to absorb unexpected costs. The financial impact was not just inconvenient but deeply destabilising for my family,” he said. 

He also described seeing his stolen bike in a social media video set to music: “Seeing that was deeply upsetting. I felt angry, humiliated and personally affronted. At a time when I was dealing with the financial and practical consequences for my family, seeing my property and the offence that led to it being taken treated in that way made the whole experience feel even more violating.”

Neighborhood Policing Inspector Rich Fear said in a statement released by Avon and Somerset Police: “The financial and emotional implications their actions cost the victims cannot be overstated. For many, their motorcycles and mopeds will be their livelihoods, passion, and main form of transport to get to work or to socialize. By bragging about their crimes on social media, they demonstrated a complete disregard for the harm and distress they knowingly inflicted on their victims and the wider motorcycle community.”