NEW YORK (WABC) — Eight people were charged Wednesday in New York for their roles in a retail theft ring that spanned several states and involved several kinds of goods from beef to copper.<\/p>\n
According to the indictment, the defendants fraudulently obtained shipping information from legitimate carriers, pretended to be them when they showed up at warehouses and stole nearly $5 million in goods later sold on the black market.<\/p>\n
When a manufacturer wants to ship large quantities of goods, they contract with a shipping broker who advertises the job online. Shipping carriers will then make bids, and the winner gets the final shipment details from the broker.<\/p>\n
The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which brought the case, said the defendants received the winning bids from hackers, leased tractor trucks and affixed the name and registration number of the real shipping carrier that was supposed to make the pickup.<\/p>\n
They would then drive to logistics centers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia, pick up the goods and divert them into New York City.<\/p>\n
Murodullo Khasanov, Nodir Kobilov, Shavkatbek Mamadjanov, Rakhmiddin Abdullaev, Aleksey Vorobyev, Nizom Ismoilov, Doston Mardoev, and Dilshod Nabiev are each charged with one count of conspiracy and and varying counts of grand larceny.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors said many of the stolen goods, which included steaks, cheeses and cigarettes, were destined for small businesses that may never recover their losses.<\/p>\n
There were six thefts between last October and April of $165,000 worth of lamb; $432,000 worth of cheese; $295,000 worth of beef; more than $266,000 worth of copper; and more than $3.3 million of cigarettes.<\/p>\n
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