The Brief
Prosecutors say the theft ring used insider FedEx tracking data to target homes and businesses from North Babylon to Montauk.
14 people were indicted after a two-year investigation uncovered a Bronx-run network that stole and resold hundreds of electronics.
Investigators seized more than 200 phones, $100,000 in cash, and tools used to unlock and clone devices.
NEW YORK – More than a dozen people have been indicted in connection with an alleged porch pirate scheme that prosecutors say systematically stole electronics from Long Island residents using insider FedEx tracking data.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said 14 defendants are accused of stealing hundreds of cellphones and other devices from homes and businesses across Suffolk County, from North Babylon to Montauk.
Prosecutors said the two-year investigation uncovered a sophisticated operation that ran from October 2023 to February 2025.
Stolen packages brought to Bronx ‘fencing location’
What we know
According to prosecutors, the alleged ringleader operated out of two Bronx locations, employing “runners” who were given inside information on FedEx deliveries — including recipient names, addresses, tracking numbers, and shipment contents.
The runners then allegedly targeted specific addresses and stole packages moments after delivery, focusing on shipments from Verizon and AT&T.
The stolen devices were delivered to a Bronx “fencing location,” where investigators say they were verified and moved to a nearby “stash house.” From there, the items were allegedly sold in bulk to wholesalers who redistributed them both domestically and internationally.
District Attorney Raymond Tierney said the takedown was the result of collaboration between Suffolk County detectives and the FedEx Task Force.
“For two years, this alleged porch pirate ring plagued our community and built a criminal enterprise on the backs of Suffolk families and businesses,” Tierney said.
200 new cellphones, IMEI scanner
By the numbers
Search warrants executed in Feb. at multiple locations across the Bronx and Brooklyn turned up more than 200 new cellphones, other electronics, $100,000 in cash, and an IMEI scanner — a tool capable of reading a phone’s unique identification number, which prosecutors say can be misused to clone or sell devices.
Residents across Suffolk County said they were relieved by the arrests. “I’m glad they took them down,” one Melville resident said. “You’d think it wouldn’t happen that much here in the suburbs,” another said.
What’s next
The defendants face a combined 50 felony charges, including enterprise corruption, grand larceny, and conspiracy. The top charge carries a maximum sentence of 8 to 25 years in prison.
Investigators said the group’s access to FedEx delivery data remains under investigation, and more arrests could follow.
What we don’t know
Authorities are still working to determine how exactly the group came by such sensitive tracking information from FedEx. More arrests are expected.
The Source
This report is based on information from the Suffolk County DA’s office.