A New York man has pleaded guilty for his role in an international cargo theft scheme that federal prosecutors say targeted high-value electronics before they could be delivered to customers. Raimond Cabrera De Leon entered his guilty plea on July 16 in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, admitting to conspiring to receive and transport stolen goods linked to losses of more than $1.5 million.
The plea is the latest development in a wider federal investigation that resulted in charges against 13 individuals in February 2025. Authorities believe the group was responsible for stealing thousands of shipments containing iPhones, Samsung smartphones, iPads and other electronic devices.
The investigation, led by the FBI’s Newark Division alongside federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, remains ongoing as prosecutors continue pursuing the remaining defendants.
The case began after authorities recorded more than 400 package thefts involving mobile devices across New Jersey during 2024. A multi-agency task force was formed to find the thieves and study the pattern of thefts. As investigators uncovered more evidence, the inquiry expanded beyond New Jersey into a larger multi-state operation.
According to court documents, the thefts were far from random. Investigators say the organization operated with clearly defined roles, allowing members to identify valuable shipments before they arrived at customers’ homes.
Prosecutors allege that one participant created automated scripts capable of searching FedEx’s public shipment tracking system, as well as the customer tracking portal of a major U.S. wireless carrier identified in court documents only as “Victim-1.” By combining information from both systems, the group was allegedly able to identify shipments containing expensive electronics and monitor their progress in real time.
Authorities also accuse members of bribing employees working for the wireless carrier. Those insiders allegedly supplied customer names, tracking numbers and delivery addresses, giving the organization the information needed to direct theft crews to specific deliveries before they reached their destinations.
Investigators identified Cabrera De Leon as one of the individuals connected to a location in the Bronx where stolen electronics were received before being prepared for resale.
Court filings describe a highly organized operation in which different members handled separate stages of the scheme. Some participants gathered shipment data and distributed delivery information, while dedicated theft crews intercepted targeted packages. Other members allegedly purchased the stolen devices before moving them into resale channels linked to the organization.
When announcing the original indictment, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna said the operation demonstrated a level of planning that went well beyond opportunistic package theft.
“The alleged thefts here were not crimes of opportunity. They were calculated, coordinated, and fueled by insider access and technology. My office remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to dismantle criminal organizations that target businesses and consumers alike.”
Investigators also highlighted an unusual incident during the case. After FedEx security recovered a shipment of stolen iPhones, one of the defendants allegedly contacted FedEx customer service to falsely report the shipment as missing, an action prosecutors say formed part of the broader criminal scheme.
Cabrera De Leon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to receive and transport stolen goods and faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Meanwhile, the broader investigation remains active. As the remaining cases move through federal court, prosecutors expect additional proceedings to reveal more about how the organization gathered shipment intelligence, identified valuable cargo and coordinated thefts across multiple states.
The case also highlights a growing concern for the transportation and logistics industry. According to investigators, cargo theft increasingly begins long before a package or trailer is physically stolen. Shipment visibility, access to operational data and insider information can all become valuable tools for organized criminal groups, making stronger controls over shipment information and employee access more important than ever.
