Multi-State Cargo Theft Ring Busted in Indiana; 8 Charged

Eight individuals have been charged in a 23-count indictment in an organized scheme to steal tens of millions of dollars in merchandise from shipments of cargo moving through the state of Indiana and elsewhere, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Josh J. Minkler announced.

This indictment is the result of a joint, multi-year investigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kentucky State Police, Louisville (KY) Metropolitan Police Department, Wythe County (VA) Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, Illinois State Police, Virginia State Police, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Fayette County (OH) Sheriff’s Department, Oklahoma City (OK) Police Department, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, among others. Two private entities, CargoNet and the National Insurance Crime Bureau, also significantly assisted in the investigation.

The indictment alleges the ring members conspired to and stole millions of dollars in cargo being transported in interstate commerce by semi-tractor trailers. The group would then transport the stolen merchandise to locations in Kentucky, New Jersey, Florida, and elsewhere, and sell the stolen merchandise.

These activities occurred between August 2012 and May 2015, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. The value of merchandise stolen from or unlawfully transported through Indiana alone is thought to exceed $17.5 million.

The following individuals were charged in the indictment:

• Carlos Enrique Freire-Pifferrer, 36, Louisville
• Juan Perez-Gonzalez, 41, Louisville
• Eduardo Hernandez, 52, Miami
• Mario Hernandez-Oquendo, 37, Miami
• Yoel Palenzuela-Mendez, 40, Miami
• Orlis Machado-Cantillo, 44, Louisville
• Miguel Mompie, 47, Louisville
• Ritzy Robert-Montaner, 25, Louisville

The indictment alleges that products being shipped as interstate commerce were stolen from various locations throughout the United States including Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and other states.

Specifically, it is alleged that the defendants surveyed distribution facilities used by various national companies to ship their products. The defendants would then locate and follow semi-tractor trailers leaving the distribution facilities until the driver of the cargo load would stop to rest or refuel his/her truck. The defendants would then act in concert to steal the entire semi-tractor and trailer loaded with merchandise.

In many cases, the defendants would abandon the stolen tractor a short distance away after attaching the stolen trailer to a tractor owned/operated by one of the members of the theft group. Many times the defendants would quickly paint over any logos on the stolen trailer in an effort to conceal the identity of the trailer and evade law enforcement detection.

According to the indictment, on 11 separate occasions this group stole cargo loads traveling within the Southern District of Indiana and/or used interstate highways within the district to transport the stolen merchandise to other states.

Stolen cargo shipments are alleged to have included computers and computer equipment, cellular telephones, electronics, appliances, perfume, cosmetics, clothing, baby formula and tires.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Rinka, who is prosecuting this case for the government, Ritzy Robert-Montaner, Mario Hernandez-Oquendo, and Eduardo Hernandez have been arraigned on the charges in New Albany before U.S. Magistrate Judge Van T. Willis.

The remaining defendants will be arraigned at a later date.

The defendants face sentences of up to 10 years imprisonment for each count of possession or transportation of stolen goods in interstate commerce, and up to five years on the conspiracy charge. The defendants also face up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

“The actions of multiple law enforcement agencies not only resulted in these indictments but also served to disrupt the future activities of such criminals, resulting in lower rates of cargo theft that impact logistics companies and their insurers,” Jim Schweitzer, senior vice president and chief operating officer of the NICB, said in an announcement.

“The involvement of so many police agencies demonstrates the need for, and benefits of, this kind of extensive cross-agency cooperation in combating cargo theft,” added Anthony Canale, vice president of operations at Verisk Crime Analytics. “The success of this investigation underscores the importance of a national database that helps law enforcement ‘connect the dots.'”

Source: United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, NICB, Verisk Crime Analytics

Topics USA Fraud Law Enforcement Trucking Kentucky