Federal Prosecutors Target Alleged Eastern European Cargo Theft Network in New York
Federal prosecutors in New York have brought charges against an alleged Eastern European cargo theft network accused of stealing approximately $10 million worth of freight. The thefts, which reportedly began around March 23, 2023, involved high-value goods such as cryptocurrency mining machines, consumer products, and food items. The network allegedly operated with an overseas dispatcher coordinating facilitators, drivers, and workers across the United States. The indictment details how the group would divert, take, transport, and sell stolen merchandise. The investigation, led by the FBI’s Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force, has resulted in charges against individuals, primarily non-citizens, with some arrests made in California, Pennsylvania, Florida, and New York. An alleged dispatcher, identified as Bezhanian, an Armenian citizen believed to be living in Eastern Europe, remains at large.
