SAN FERNANDO - Two men accused of operating an auto-theft ring out of a Canyon Country hot-rod repair shop pleaded no contest Wednesday in a deal with prosecutors, while a third defendant pleaded not guilty and will stand trial, officials said.

Nellson Vels, 51, and Daryl Perkins, 50, pleaded no contest in San Fernando Superior Court to charges of operating a chop shop - an illegal operation that disassembles stolen vehicles in order to resell the parts - said prosecutor Alex Karkanen, a member of the county's Taskforce for Regional Auto-theft Prevention.

The pair also pleaded not guilty to charges that included unlawfully driving or taking a vehicle, receiving stolen property and conducting unlawful vehicle identification activity.

They are set to be sentenced on Dec. 8 to three years of felony probation and 30 days of community service, Karkanen said.

"They can expect to do that, assuming they don't commit any crimes between now and then," Karkanen said, and added the men have so far cooperated with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

"We're pleased that there's a successful resolution to the case and that these guys have taken responsibility for what happened," he said.

John Landon, 36, pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to return to court Dec. 8 for a pretrial conference, Karkanen said.

Vels is owner of Billet Works Performance repair shop and president of a local muscle-car group. Perkins is a worker at the shop. Landon is an acquaintance.

The three are accused of stealing two trailers and a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible worth about $100,000 earlier this year, Los Angeles Police Department Detective George Molina said.

Retired LAPD auto-theft Detective James Ruffner pleaded guilty to related charges about a month ago, Karkanen added.

The men are likely to receive probation because they did not have criminal histories, Karkanen said.

"If there are future felonies ... the punishment will be much more severe," he added.

Vels' attorney Harland Braun said the defendants were satisfied with the agreement.

"All they have to do is be good and stay out of trouble, do 30 days of community service and then there's a chance of potential restitution," Braun said, adding that Vels and Landon will likely instruct vocational students in auto repair for their community service hours. "It's a fair resolution to the whole case."