An assembly method for a vehicle anti-theft key having an embedded resistor pellet is provided. The resistor pellet includes a flange at one end which abuts one side of the key blade when the opposed end of the pellet is inserted into a through opening formed in the shank portion of the key blade. With the resistor pellet loosely positioned within the through opening, a second flange is attached to the end of the pellet that was inserted through the through opening, thereby capturing the pellet within the through opening by the two opposed flanges. In one embodiment, the second flange is formed in place by employing a polymeric molding process, such as a thermoforming injection molding process. A handle for the key is efficiently formed substantially simultaneously with the second flange using the same polymeric molding process.