A MAN has admitted receiving stolen vehicles worth more than £75,000.

Robert Thompson was caught behind the wheel of a black Range Rover Velar with a false registration plate on January 6 last year.

It was later revealed to have been stolen from a property in London in December 2020.

GPS data on the 35-year-old’s phone showed he was in the West Drayton area on the day of the theft and the false registration plate he was using was linked to a vehicle stolen from Hove in August 2020.

He was released under investigation, but on January 13 this year, a stolen Citroen Nemo van with false registration plates was found parked in front of Thompson’s home in Hove.

A search of his property by police and a dog unit found the keys inside, as well as cocaine.

Thompson was arrested and charged with receiving stolen goods, fraudulently using registration marks and possession of a class A drug.

DNA and fingerprint evidence also linked him to a BMW stolen from Worthing in June 2020 and a Range Rover stolen from Lancing the following August.

The stolen vehicles had a total value of more than £75,000.

At Lewes Crown Court, Thompson, of Church Road, Hove, pleaded guilty to receiving stolen goods, the registration offence and possession of a class A drug.

He is due to be sentenced on Thursday, March 17.

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Tom Duffy said: “Robert Thompson has a proven track record of vehicle theft over a number of years, which has had a significant impact on his victims.

“This conviction is the result of some incredible teamwork, from Special Enforcement Unit and response officers who brought him into custody to the investigators who gathered the evidence that tied Thompson to several offences over more than two years.

“I would like to thank the victims and everybody involved in this case for helping to bring him to justice.”

The police operation was part of a long-running investigation into vehicle thefts in Sussex.