leave. [ laughter ] the lights of las vegas flash day and night beckoning her visitors to let loose and let it roll. but not far from the dazzling lights, a darker side of vegas is buzzing with its own kind of action. inside this little shop -- >> i have two malibus -- >> shady deals are going down. stolen goods for sale. >> just got a plasma. 51-inch. >> this guy's cashing in on a truck he carnivaled, bragging about -- carjacked, bragging about beating up the driver.

>> boom, boom in the [ bleep ] -- >> none of these people have any idea that they've just walked in to a police sting operation or that we've tracked down their victims. >> i was violated, and he's laughing it it. >> on the other side of town, we're on the scene with undercover detectives watching from just yards away as thieves steal cars. >> the guy's jumped in and took off. now we're following him down the street here. >> hands up! get them up in the air! >> we're also riding with these cops as they go in search of a violent pimp. >> that's when he hit me in the face. >> and we'll be there when the cops bring his victim home. >> i believe he's going to be in -- >> a few miles away, a career crook goes to work as cameras roll. you'll watch the crime in progress and the capture as it happened. >> that's him running? >> yeah, that's him running. >> and as you'll see, perhaps the most telling part -- >> no, i was not her pimp.

>> is when i chat with the suspects. how did you end up getting in this jam? >> i don't even know what jam i'm in. to be honest with you. >> i wasn't selling -- >> you weren't selling stolen cars? i'll reveal they've been caught on hidden camera. >> i've never been caught in a sting operation. >> well, your about to be. for them, what's happening in vegas won't be staying here. tonight we're going to take you on an undercover journey through an underground world. we start with some extraordinary video of criminals, shoplifters, thieves, and worse at work. they're cool, confident, and totally convinced they'll never be caught. then we'll introduce you to the victims of the crime. what they've lost can't be measured in just dollars and centses. finally, you'll meet the criminals themselves as they discover they have been caught on hidden camera. it all happens right before your eyes here on "vegas:

undercover." >> our vision here at the las vegas metropolitan police department is to be the safest community in america. >> sheriff doug gillespie says he encourages his force of more than 3,000 officers to be creative. >> policing cannot just be reacti reactive. you know, when people call you for help. you have previously proactive. come up with different ideas, some old, some new. don't accept just being good. >> so the vegas police find opportunities to catch thieves in the act. >> car theft has been jumping -- >> as you may remember from our last report, we're once again riding along with lieutenant bobby duval who run the viper squad, a specialized unit formed to combat auto theft. hundreds of cars are stolen each month in las vegas costing victims millions of dollars. just three years ago, vegas led the country in auto theft with aggressive policing, the numbers have been dropping. his team uses specially designed

bait cars rigged with hidden cameras. they leave the vehicles in high crime areas and wait for them to be stolen. watch how it works. >> why are you following me? >> it begins with undercover cops faking a fight. >> you're not taking care of business -- what about our kids? >> then they appear to abandon the car in the chaos. >> people have fights on the streets all the time, and the car is left behind. >> within minutes, the bait car is tolden. the vehicle is controlled remotely from a laptop. >> you can arm it, i did arm it, you can honk -- disarm it, you can honk the horn, you can kill the ignition. >> it suspect is 27-year-old marco flores. look how he's covered his hands, presumably to avoid leaving fingerprints. [ siren ] >> but he need not have bothered. >> put your hand up. stand up, get out of the car. hands up, all the way up! >> once he's in handcuffs, you

get to speak with him. chris hanson with "dateline nbc." doing a story on auto theft k. you tell me what happened here tonight? >> nothing. well, just messed up. >> i'm having a hard time ung -- what you were going do once you grabbed the car. pick up your girlfriend, go for a ride? >> nothing. >> go to dairy queen, what? >> nah, nothing like that. >> flores pleaded guilty to grand larceny auto. >> i'm not with you anymore -- >> another night, another fake fight. attracting another suspect. the man drives off, having no idea the cops are tracking him. he parks the car, gets out -- >> metro police! stop right there! >> and runs. how often it this happen when somebody tries to hundred? >> not often. >> the cops surround the area. >> he's in the area. hare comes the cops --

>> be advised. >> here comes the dodge. [ siren ] >> whatever it takes. >> whatever it takes. >> the police give chase for an intense 15 minutes. [ siren ] >> chopper up in the air. >> got him. >> you got him? >> yes. >> this is the suspect right here who was missing between this street and the next street over. but once they brought the chopper in, the dogs, they were able to flush him out. the alleged car sthooef youthier than 18, so he'll be charged as a juvenile. how does this feel? >> pretty good. another capture. >> in vegas, car theft seems to be an equal-opportunity crime. any age, man or woman. like 25-year-old tiffany montoya. >> here we go. >> female's in it. >> the cops tail her. she's startled by the sirens. [ siren ] >> let me see your hand.

open the car from the outside. >> she says she has no identification, but she offer a creative solution. >> did you have i.d. in your purse, did you say? >> no, i have my name tattooed on me, though. >> tiffany, who has a prior conviction for prostitution, pleaded guilty to stealing the car. >> the driver's side. >> our next suspect, as we'll learn later, has had too much to drink. and his friend on the phone warns him not to take the car. but as you can see, he just doesn't listen. >> it's going. [ siren ] >> he drives less than a block before he's arrested. >> let me see your hands! >> yeah. right here. >> you have the right to remain silent. >> he's 44-year-old eli cy o gonzalez. it appears he thinks this is all very funny. [ laughter ] >> gold get hold of my friends, they tell me don't do it.

>> they told you ton do it, and you just -- use took a chance, or what? >> i don't know. i don't know. i was -- i have to pay. i have to pay for a mistake. and they told me, and i was stupid. and i'm stupid because i'm stupid. >> he pleaded guilty to grand larceny auto. now what's your favorite part about this? >> my favorite part is the catch. using technology the way we're doing to turn it back on the thieves, to see that look on their face when they realize they've been had. nothing better than that. nothing better. >> so what do thieves do with the cars they steal? some take them here. when we come back, you'll see how the las vegas police are beating these criminals by joining them. >> i got 860. would that be all right? >> that would be cool. >> that's next. and coming up later, the bad guys get some bad news. they find out for the first time

they've been caught on hidden camera. it was a sting operation. >> okay, if it was a sting operation, i'm busted. >> can i show you videotape? >> uh-huh. >> still ahead on "vegas: undercover." stamps.com is the best. i don't have to leave my desk and get up and go to the post office anymore. [ male announcer ] with stamps.com you can print real u.s. postage

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"vuh," voice. his voice. your woice? look. watch sci-fi. [ female announcer ] the x1 entertainment operating system, only from xfinity. ♪ i walked out into the garage and i just looked around and i said, wow, where's my car? >> some time during the night, as debbie streeter slept, a thief sneaked into her garage and stole her 2007 kia sorento. >> hi, yes. i'd like some help. my car's gone. >> every time you walk outside you're looking around, seeing if someone's watching, you're checking doors and windows that you never did before. >> what happens to cars after crooks steal them? >> i just robbed him. i just robbed his house or whatever. >> we've been watching this fencing operation from behind

the scenes. a place where thieves come to sell stolen goods to other criminals. >> hey, brother, what's going on? >> the guys behind the counters aren't crooks. they're undercover detectives. it happens at this little store tucked away in the shadow of the vegas strip. to look like a shop that sells and installs car audio systems. >> .357 shell there. >> where we first saw suspects selling guns and cars. >> .357. >> an alleges counterfeiter making bogus bills. >> what's up? >> where's the boys, man? >> business is still booming. this guy's here to sell grenade, looking for top dollar. $300 is the final sale. >> you know we're not ebay? >> right. >> lieutenant dave logue oversees the storefront operation. most customers are career criminals, suspects who have done jail time and are now out.

>> some are very violent, convicted of robbery. people that are ex-felons and this is what they do for a living. >> meet brad young, a six-time convicted felon. >> 29 years old and i've been in prison four times, homes. >> brad will be one of the shop's best customers bringing in six cars in six weeks. >> give you $750 for this one. >> all right. >> but just as important, he'll spread the word, sending in more thieves unaware they're walking into a sting operation. >> you found it? >> right now he's frustrated because his accomplices can't seem to remember where they parked a stolen vehicle. >> did you go outside in the parking lot and show these [ bleep ] morons where the truck is, please? >> cohorts are looking for the stolen truck, brad is here selling a different one. he's eager to tell the undercover officers how he stole it. >> and i said i'm going to pistol whip him in front of the camera.

>> he was in the drive-through of a fast-food place where the driver passed him scraping his car. brad re-enacts how he sea his punched his hand right through the driver's window. >> i drug him right through the [ bleep ] window. and put him on the [ bleep ] ground. boom. hit him one time in the [ bleep ] head. boom. mother [ bleep ] said -- >> the driver was black. and brad is apparently a racist. >> i don't [ bleep ] homes. i don't like them. >> in addition to the two vehicles he's telling today, brad has a different deal in the works. >> i have 62 altogether. >> guns? >> pistols, rifles, some .12 game, some .10 gauge. >> collects $1,400. >> should be $1,400. >> and makes plans to come back

soon. >> cool. >> cops want to know more about brad and his friends. so they let him walk but keep a close eye on him. police say decisions like this are always a delicate balance. the plan is to arrest brad and all of the other suspects once the investigation is over. >> what's up? nice to meet you. >> four days late, brad is back, this time he's brought a friend with another stolen pickup for sale. >> i got 860 on me. would that be all right? >> that would be cool. >> they agree on $860 for the 2005 ford f-150, and brad takes a cut. >> here comes another referral. we met her in our last investigation. the drug-addicted mother of three. she calls herself chevy. she says brad sent her. >> did brad tell you what this is all about here? >> he explained it to me a bit. >> detectives want to keep spreading the word and give chevy incentive to help. >> everybody who shows up and says your name, you're going to get money on the back end.

>> okay. >> the better it is, whatever it is, the more you'll get. >> the a days later she's back, -- a few days later, she's back. this time she's brought three friends. the little shop is becoming standing room only. >> what's up? >> nice to meet you. >> billy. >> billy's here to sell a car and a gun. >> two bills on the car, two bills on the gun. >> a week later one of the men, levi, is back. >> you look happier than the last time. >> the 22-year-old says he's a tree trimmer who just become a father. he says he only steals cars to help support his family. >> i have a full-time job. i have a family to take care of. >> i mean, i'm doing my thing. >> levi has two cars to sell, one a kia, bragging about how he stole it. >> no, the keys were sitting right next to the car. >> [ bleep ] idiot. >> like in someone's driveway? >> right next to the car. it says valet, but it's sitting

right there. >> the garage door's closed. >> which brings us back to debbie streeter, the woman you met earlier whose car was stolen while she slept. levi sold it to the undercover cops. we showed debbie the hidden camera tape. she says it was her car, but she wasn't careless with her keys the way levi claims. >> he's laughing and he's happy and he's joking and he thinks it's a big joke. and that frustrates me. >> boasting to the undercover officers how he did this. >> yeah. i was violated. and that feels crappy. you know? he's laughing about it. >> but as you'll see, he won't be laughing for long. chris hansen with "dateline nbc." coming up -- >> he's a good con artist. >> on the trail of a salesman. his product, women. >> i had a quota. $1,200 to $1,500 a night. >> how much of that money did you get to keep? >> none of it. >> when "vegas undercover" continues. [ rippling ] [ male announcer ] what if...

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we're with vegas police on a

manhunt. >> hi. >> i'm back. >> looking for the man who brutally beat this woman, jessica. >> my eye was swollen shut and my lips were swollen. the bruising just started to go down. >> the wanted man is mario davis, a pimp accused of taking advantage of young, vulnerable women. it's like their slaves. >> where are they going to go? >> detective chris boffman, part of the pimp investigative team, is passionate about catching pimps, stopping them from victimizing young, impressionable women. >> for me, there's no greater reward than possibly rescuing a girl. >> he hunts guys like mario, men known to enslave women through fear. >> what they will do is tell the girls, i know where your family lives at. if you run from me, i'll hurt them, i'll shoot them. >> detectives started look into

mario a year ago. >> back in september there was a girl that came forward that wanted help. >> right. her name is elizabeth sorano. jessica and elizabeth worked for mario. >> he was good con artist. >> it all started when she was 18, on her way to becoming a code breaker for the air force. she was about to be deployed, she says, when arrested for joy riding in a stolen car. as a result, the air force dropped her. >> i was already processed. just waiting to graduate high school. >> elizabeth says she was sitting in jail when approached by another woman in the lockup. >> she said she had a friend that owned an escort service and she could get me in. >> out of money, desperate, elizabeth called the owner of the escort service mario davis. soon, she was turning tricks. >> i had a quota.

you know, i had to make that quota. >> what was the quota for you. >> $1200 to $1500 a night. >> how much did you get to keep? >> none of it. >> she say she's tried to leave, but he wouldn't let her. >> he would be like, go pack your stuff and then if i actually did it, oh, he'd beat me severely. >> she escaped when mario took a trip out of town. >> he wasn't there to stop me. >> tons of evidence. >> detective boffman got the case and knew who he was looking for. the detective and the pimp went to high school together where mario was a star basketball player. did you ever imagine 20 years ago this basketball star, a year older than you, would become the target of one of your major investigations? >> nope. >> small town. >> small town, man. >> the detective arrested his former classmate, and charged him with pandering, selling elizabeth's body for sex.

>> he said he'd been doing it, these girls were drawn to him. >> later, when mario was out on bail, the detective got the call about another abuse case, it was jessica, the woman we introduced you to earlier. >> my jaw was bruised. bruises on my arms. kicked in my kidneys. hit in my ribs. >> she met davis when she was a vulnerable, drug-addicted 22-year-old. how did he convince you you'd be better off living the life of prostitution? >> the money, the cars, jewelry, nice clothes. >> make it sound glamorous? >> yeah. you know, it sounds good. by that time you're already attached and you think you love him or you do love him, you get confused. and make it seem like this is how it should be. >> how can you love a guy that makes you go out every night and turn tricks? >> he tells you he's the only one that would ever love you and you start to believe that after a while.

>> jessica says everything changed just days before we met her when mario found a text message from another man. sending him into a jealous rage. >> he pick made up and threw me off the couch. >> what did he do then? >> he sat on my arms. >> he pinned you down? >> uh-huh. that's when he hit me in my face. >> she says, after the beating, he chopped off her hair. >> i just think he could be mean. >> mario here? >> when police enter mario's house he isn't there, but they find crucial evidence. so this is the hair that you recovered? >> yes, it is. >> hours later, the detective gets a call from mario's attorney. the accused pimp agreed to turn

himself in. >> turn around. i'm going to pat you down real quick. >> mario arrives as scheduled, outside the jail. >> spread your feet. this your phone? >> he's given a date to appear in court, and is released on bail. >> chris hansen with "dateline nbc." how you doing? that's when i catch up to him. >> ever beat jessica? >> no. >> did you ever beat elizabeth? >> no. and the truth will come out. only thing i'm guilty of being black and having a girlfriend that was a prostitute. that's all i'm guilty of. >> jessica and elizabeth told us they were two of at least a dozen women working for mario. >> there's no crime in having 15 girlfriends. i'm not married. i'm still young. >> no crime in having 15 girlfriends. >> that's all i'm saying. >> the question is, were they going out, turning tricks giving you the money? >> that's what i'm saying no they wasn't. >> how do you make your living? >> i'm one, two. >> a one, too, what? >> i'm an escort myself. >> mario might be a male escort, but now a felon, pleaded guilty to pandering with force.

as part of a plea bargain he'll be on five years' prohibition. the detective believes for now he's put mario out of commission. has justice been served in this case? >> i believe, yeah, 100%. 100%. >> mario davis is not behind bars. >> no, he's not. and -- >> he took a deal. >> he did take a deal. makes one mistake if he does something wrong, then he goes to prison for anywhere from 8 to 17 years. >> and that's good enough for jessica's father, who is deeply grateful to detective boffman for bringing his only daughter home. >> all i did was hold her until she fell asleep best she could after the detective brought her in. that's a great guy over there. that's a dedicated man. >> when you can help a girl, someone that no one else is able to help, probably the most rewarding thing that i've ever done. >> coming up -- the ups and downs of a shoplifter. "vegas undercover" continues.

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here's what's happening -- nearly 36 hours after being relived lie the taliban -- released boy the taliban, bowe bergdahl has not spoke weekend his family yet. the 28-year-old was held captive for nearly five years and is being treatied in a military hospital in germany. a plate from houston to new york had to be diverted to men e memphis after a man tried to charge the cockpit. he was taken into custody in memphis, and flight then went on to newark, new jersey. back to "vegas: undercover." we've been given a front row seat riding with a squad of detectives who focus on repeat offenders. >> we concentrate on career criminals, habitual criminals, repeat offenders. >> lieutenant ted lee who heads up the specialized unit says it's career criminals who commit most crimes.

>> 20% of people committing 80% crime within a city. >> convince these crooks won't stop committing crimes, police secretly tail them, catching habitual offends are in the act. tonight, we're riding with the sergeant as he and his team follow a suspect named raja jones, six-time convicted felon. that's the perfect example habitual criminal. >> jones. >> jones. >> what has raja been up to? take a look at a year ago october. >> watching a professional shoplifter go to work. fry's electronic store. surveillance cameras pick him up and follow him as he heads down the aisle looking like a regular shopper. stopping and browsing. soon, he makes his move. watch as he takes $139 amplifier out of the box, shoves it down his pants, and then covers it up with his shirt. feeling the squeeze, he takes off his belt, and ditches it.

he heads to the checkout and pays for a different item in his cart, all looks normal as he exits the store. but security isn't fooled. and they move in for the arrest, tackling him. raja charged with a misdemeanor, and released. you'd think that arrest would have scared him. not raja. one month later, he enters this convenience store. he thinks the coast is clear, walks into the back room, seconds later, he comes out with cartons of cigarettes. hides in an aisle, stuffs them in his coat, and walks out. raja was arrested, and this time charged with grand larceny. he was released on bail, and later pleaded guilty. but his crime spree is still not over.

last spring he was caught robbing lockers at a 24-hour fitness jim. detective ethan grimes got the case. >> i spent approximately four weeks on this case. >> he found out one of his victims was a professional acrobat in cirque du soleil. you finish your workout? >> yeah. >> back to your locker? >> yes. >> what do you see? >> no clothes, no shoes, no wallet, no credit cards. >> everything was gone. >> i'm so upset. i call right away my wife and tell her to close all of my credit cards. >> it wasn't just credit card -- credit cards he needed to worry about. he also allegedly stole his i he also allegedly stole it.

>> i didn't use it to buy a cell phone and even something you might not expect. >> i had some call from dental office. >> a dentist office? >> yes. >> police say raja used his i didn't to get his teeth x-rayed. detective grimes turns the case to repeat offenders unit. >> the fresher the information, the quicker we can find people they want to do surveillance on. >> yep, that's them. >> that's why tonight police have decided to follow raja jones. what are the chances he'll commit a crime while the police and our cameras are watching? >> turn lane. >> as the evening begins, it looks as if raja, drive this cadillac, may have changes his ways. he and his girlfriend head to narcotics anonymous meeting. but the night is young. >> fitness. >> his next stop, a familiar place, a 24-hour fitness gym. >> he's right there at the counter. >> a short visit, and a few

minutes later raja comes out. >> we can't confirm if anything was broken into. a lot of lockers are open. raja and his girlfriend continue on. stopping at several convenience stores, seems like he might be up to his old tricks. >> we follow him into a couple of stores and it look likes he's going in with a female distracting the clerk while the male subject is appears to be attempting to check doors. >> but cops don't think he stole anything here. but what about this next stop at a 7-eleven. >> pulling into the 7-eleven. >> a surveillance camera rolls as raja's girlfriend goes in first. as she did in the last stop, distracts the clerk. >> she's in. >> now here comes raja. >> i believe he's going to be in. >> watch him go into the back room. you can guess what happens next. he takes two large boxes full of cigarettes and leaves out a back door. >> went in a back room triggering an alarm. >> the cops follow him. he heads to the parking lot to meet a man waiting to buy his stolen stash.

that's him running? >> yeah, that's him running. >> the police quickly catch him. and raja is tackled again. raja and his girlfriend, 26-year-old melissa beatty, arrested on burglary and grand larceny charges. he doesn't want to talk to police. >> why did you run? start off with that one. >> but his girlfriend does. >> he doesn't tell me what he steals. he doesn't tell me what he does. he's my boyfriend. i -- i have -- i'm not working right now. we just got a new house. >> she tells them the theft was all raja's idea but admits she was an accomplice. >> if i would look out for him, watch him, distract, then that's me putting in my share to the rent. okay? that's the honest god's truth. >> melissa beatty pleaded guilty. also arrested in the parking lot is the man who bought the stolen cigarettes. detectives find the two crates

and $1500 in cash in his car. his name is norm monsoure and owns a small vegas smoke shop. he's arrested for receiving stolen property and is released on bail. that's when i pay him a visit. how you doing? chris hansen with "dateline nbc." how are you? >> good. >> we're doing a story on an investigation being conducts by the police about receiving stolen cigarettes. i wanted to get your side of the story. >> no comments. no comments. >> when police arrested raja jones you had a lot of cigarettes with you. >> no comments. >> he was found guilty of possessing stolen property. raja, chris hansen with "dateline nbc." we went to see raja jones behind bars. i wanted to see if you had anything to say about it, if you're willing to talk to us, get your side of the story. >> no. >> it involved cigarettes. >> i have nothing to say now.

>> raja, who has pleaded guilty, may not want to talk. but back at store front operation, suspects are still filing in. coming up -- they'll have a lot to say how they're ripping people off. >> you said it came from a valet? coming up, a car thief who this he's a hero. >> give it to somebody. robin hoot. -- robin hood. >> not surprisingly, his victim disagrees. >> i hope he gets the maximum penalty for it. >> when "vegas undercover" continues.

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but the buyers are actually undercover detectives and it's all been caught on tape. >> [ bleep ]. struck him right to the -- >> remember 29-year-old brad young, the violent six-time offender? >> boom. >> he sent many criminal friends to the fencing operation, taking a cut of each deal along the way. brad hasn't been seen for a while. turns out he was arrested on a different case. but here comes his girlfriend, alicia. >> like, now i'm the one doing the running around trying to get money. it's ridiculous. >> are you working right now? >> no. >> are you talking even rent? >> i never had a job in my life. >> how old are you? >> 21. >> never had a job, burger bar, subway? >> i never had to. >> in all, she'll make nine visits to the store front. >> you're alive. >> this time, it's a stolen bmw. >> you said it came from a valet? >> yeah. stolen from a casino. >> leave the keys in so it the valet could drive it into the

parking spot. >> alicia seems to be spreading the word for her boyfriend, brad, while he's in jail. >> what's up, man? how you doing? i'm chris. >> who are you? >> she sends this guy a friend of brad's. >> todd is here with five vehicles one a $230,000 bentley. >> i got them all here believe it or not. >> all of them? >> i actually got them [ bleep ] here. a nightmare. >> todd explains he's the middleman, not the thief. >> i coordinate it, man. i coordinate. >> the actual thief, he says, waiting outside, his former cell mate. >> one dude i was in prison. his name is james remington or j. r. j.r. explains after he burglarized a house he found he unknowingly taken titles to two cars which gave him an idea.

>> i left with all of the stuff that i had. i got home, i have titles to these cars. i'm like, [ bleep ], cause i didn't go to the garage. >> he went back and stole the two cars. >> i went back. and said, oh wee. so i grabbed one of them. i had my partner come back with me. >> so you went back twice? >> i'll give you $2,500 for both rides. >> $2,500 for cars worth nearly $300,000. the cops tell j.r. they don't have enough money on them and convince him to come back the next day. >> coming in. >> as he warms up to the cops he explains why he thought what he did was justified. >> summer house for these people. they're worth like 10 billion. i don't feel bad. if was an average joe workin' his [ bleep ] off i don't -- >> he's the good guy. >> the guy has three houses and he's [ bleep ].

>> he's not missing it. >> he's a piece of [ bleep ]. actually. >> you're like robin hood. >> pretty much. >> we wonder if the owner would agree. we tracked him down. >> he doesn't understand how violated that made me feel. >> his name is michael, he's in the oil business and is a self-made man who has works hard for every dollar he's earned. >> my wife and i are very comfortable. we do have two houses. but, you know, when i left home i had $237. so, what i got, i got by working for it. >> we played him the tape of j.r. fencing his prized automobiles. what do you think should happen to this fellow? >> i hope he gets the maximum penalty. you can see from the video he thinks he was completely in the right. >> without the store front investigation, do you think you would have gotten the cars back?

>> i don't think we would have. >> finally j.r. and the rest of the gang about to be put out of business. we'll get a chance to speak with them. >> brad. >> how you doing? >> and i'll reveal to them, for the first time, that they've been caught on hidden camera. i'm wondering if i can show you the video. >> absolutely. >> a sting operation. >> i never been caught in a sting operation. >> you're about to be. (woman) the constipation and belly pain feel like a knot. how can i ease this pain? (man) when i can't go, it's like bricks piling up. i wish i could find some relief. (announcer) ask your doctor about linzess-- a once-daily capsule for adults with ibs with constipation or chronic idiopathic constipation. linzess is thought to help calm pain-sensing nerves and accelerate bowel movements. it helps you proactively manage your symptoms. do not give linzess to children under 6, and it should not be given to children 6 to 17. it may harm them.

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with our all access pass, we've been right there for vegas police to take down criminals like pimps and car thieves. now they are rounding up suspects from undercover fencing operation.

in all they recovered and now have arrested repeat offenders who are now behind bars. we went to the local jail to speak with some of them. >> hey, brad. >> chris hansen with "dateline" nbc. >> we start with the ringleader, the man police say was at the top of the criminal network, brad young. he's the guy connected to nine cars bragging about beating a black man after stealing his truck. he has no idea he was caught on camera in a sting operation. he's about to find out. >> doing an investigation conducted by the metro police department. >> investigation for what? >> for a lot of things, including people who are selling stolen vehicles. do you know anything about this? >> absolutely not. >> not at all.

>> did you sell anyone stolen vehicles? >> absolutely not. >> no trucks, no dodge chargers. >> absolutely. >> you're sure? >> i'm positive. >> maybe a big mix-up. i'm wondering if i can show you a videotape. >> absolutely. >> watch brad closely. as the video begins to play, his face starts to twitch. >> how do you explain that. >> explain what? >> that. >> i was talking to somebody. >> who are you talking to? >> i don't know. i'm done talking. i want to talk to my attorney. >> brad pled guilty and has been sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison. >> chris hansen with "dateline nbc." >> the new dad bragging about stealing the new kia. levi also doesn't know that he's been caught in a sting operation. >> you actually show up in this

investigation selling. >> i wasn't. >> you weren't? >> no, sir. >> you think it's funny? >> i don't think it's funny at all. really i don't think it's funny. >> during that investigation hidden cameras and microphones were running the whole time. i have a video i'd like you to see if you would like to look at it. >> yes, sir. >> after seeing the video, he changes his story. now, you also talk about going in the house, getting the car keys and stealing the car. >> yes. >> why did you say that? >> i don't know. >> why does somebody admit to a felony if they didn't really do it? >> a lot of the stuff -- i don't know. a lot of stuff is bs we do talk about. >> what wasn't bs is that you put together seven deals to sell stolen automobiles, right?

with them i did. >> yeah. >> seven times. >> yeah. i mean, just as much as they had seven deals, i had seven deals. >> how much money did you get for all this? >> i'd get a percentage, 50 bucks a car maybe. >> 50 bucks a car. was it worth it? levi says he commits crimes because of drugs. >> every time i've ever been arrested or in trouble i was high, doing drugs, doing dope. >> is there anything else you want folks to know about your situation? >> i'm sorry for the victims i stole cars from. >> levi pleaded guilty. >> todd calls himself the middleman. >> i just coordinate. >> also aware he was because the on tape, he denies everything. >> have you ever sold stolen

cars before? >> no. >> do you know anything pout stolen car rings? >> no. >> there's evidence you did get involved selling cars in an undercover sting operation. >> i wasn't part of an undercover sting operation. >> i'm not saying you helped police with a sting operation, i'm saying you were involved in an sting operation. >> i wasn't. >> that's you, right? you denied it in the beginning of our conversation until you saw the videotape. did you just forget about it? >> no. >> you knew it. >> i knew. >> how much did you make off all that? >> not much. >> looks like you were counting off a pretty big stack -- >> that wasn't my money. there was only a couple of times i actually had my hands on the money first.

for the most part -- wow. >> as we've heard before, he says he needed the money to get high. >> i did some things that i'm paying for right now. i'm sure i deserve it. but at the same time, you know, i need help. >> todd pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 9.5 to 26 years in prison. >> hey, jeremy, how are you doing? >> remember j.r., the bentley thief? he's not looking at confident in his prison blues. >> how did you end up getting in this jam? >> i don't even know what jam i'm in to be honest with you. >> let me ask you this, j.r. did you ever take cars to a storefront. >> i never did sell anybody a stolen car. i was there with a friend of mine. >> did you get any money for the cars. >> i didn't, no. >> did you bring over a 2008

bentley? >> yes. >> you did? >> uh-huh. >> where did that bentley come from? >> i have no idea. >> you have no idea? >> no. >> you didn't steal that bentley. >> no, i didn't steal that bentley. >> you ever steal any cars? >> no. >> ever break into any homes? >> and steal a car, no. >> my questions about the storefront make j.r. suspicious of the guys who were working there. >> who are they? >> it was a sting operation. >> if it was a sting operation i'm busted for going there. i'm sure they had a camera on me. >> in fact, they did. can i show you videotape. would you like to take a look. >> worth $10 million. >> you're bragging there, j.r., about robbing a guy. you don't feel bad about it. >> after seeing himself on tape, j.r. says he was just blowing smoke. >> this is just a made up person. >> you just made it up. >> yeah, i just made it up. >> you talk about taking the bentley. you taking the bentley.

>> i was trying to be cool. >> j'leon r. has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison. >> i never had a gun in my life. >> then there's alicia. a woman who bragged she's never worked a day in her life. she pleaded guilty for her visits to the storefront. the sheriff said his department's proactive policing is working. >> our crime numbers are down. >> warns crooks should think twice before committing a crime in las vegas. >> what do you say to criminals who see this and have their eyes on las vegas. >> watch out. we're in a lot of different places doing a lot of different things. you may think you're good at your trade but we're that much better. you're going to get caught. >> we'll be watching as we continue our coverage of the vegas cops close-up and under cover.

you'll find more information about this undercover operation on our website. log ont dateline.msnbc.com. that's all for now. i'm chris hanson. from all of us on nbc news, thanks for joining us. this may not be the las vegas you know. >> this is the underbelly. an underworld filled with criminals. with undercover cops trying to catch those crooks. >> i told them to go pretty much [ bleep ] themselves. catch me if you can. >> in this episode, police set up a sting. a fake fencing operation for stolen goods.