Florida men stole tech from Macon as part of $1.7M in cargo thefts. They face prison time
Four South Florida men were sentenced to prison for stealing $1.7 million worth of cargo from the Southeastern U.S., including Macon.
The goods were taken from Macon, other places in Georgia and a few other states. They were transported to Florida and sold, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who announced the sentences last month.
“The FBI takes cargo theft very seriously, due to the significant impact it has on the United States economy, and the potential for stolen goods to be used to fund other criminal organizations,” said Keri Farley, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta. “This theft conspiracy did not stop at our state border, and neither did our investigation.
“Thanks to our partnership with Miami agencies, we tracked these thieves across the entire Southeast, and now they will be held accountable for their crimes.”
Yunior Hernandez Guzman, Roberto Quesada Lopez, Carlos Alberto Valdes and Yubani Milares Vera operated a cargo theft ring, stealing computers, copper and clothes throughout the Southeast U.S., according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which attributed information from documents presented in court.
Yunior Hernandez Guzman is from Homestead, Florida. The other three suspects are from Hialeah, Florida, officials said.
They also said that Guzman, Valdes, Lopez and Vera stole over:
- $500,000 worth of computers in Macon on May 18, 2019
- $640,000 worth of computers meant for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Emerson on June 11, 2019
- $110,000 worth of copper in Denmark, Tennessee, on July 21, 2019
- $110,000 worth of copper in Glade Springs, Virginia, on Sept. 2, 2019
- $110,000 worth of copper in Fairview, Tennessee, on Oct. 6, 2019
- $340,000 worth of apparel in Kingsland on Nov. 16, 2019
All four men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of interstate shipment. Guzman will serve two years and nine months followed by three years of supervised release, Valdes will serve three years and 10 months followed by three years of supervised release, Lopez will serve two years and six months and Vera will serve five years followed by three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The attorney’s office also said that the four men will also have to pay restitution. Guzman was ordered to pay $880,857 in restitution, Valdes was ordered to pay about $1.5 million, Lopez was ordered to pay about $1.3 million and Vera was ordered to pay about $1.8 million.
“Thefts of interstate shipments disrupt the production and delivery of needed goods and result in detrimental financial impact on businesses, consumers, and the U.S. economy generally,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The sentencing of these defendants is an example of our office’s commitment to prosecute these criminals as well as a warning to others that these offenses are an investigative priority for our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.”
The FBI investigated the case and had assistance from the Miami-Dade County Police Department, the Economic Crime Bureau and the FBI Miami Field Office.
