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long Island Prosecutors have charged 14 people with mass robbery “Porch Pirates” The ring “systematically” snatched high-value packages from citizens’ doorsteps using “insider knowledge” from within FedEx.
in an indictment announced on mondayAuthorities in Suffolk County, New York, accused 29-year-old Bronx man Andrickson Jerez of masterminding a “sophisticated” criminal organization that stole thousands of smartphones and tablets from local homes and businesses.
Jerez is accused of providing inside information FedEx, Tracking information – including recipients’ names, addresses and the contents of their parcels – was passed to a network of “runners” who would grab the loot and bring it to a staging hub at an address on University Avenue in the Bronx.
Then, prosecutors allege, Jerez and his “lieutenants” would verify their ID numbers before taking the devices to a “stash house” on Quimby Avenue, where Jerez and his father Juan Baez, 48, would sell them to a Manhattan electronics store owner named Fawaz Hameed, 35.
In some cases, runners are accused of seizing packages from drivers or residents by force, including “violent pushing”.[ing] A FedEx driver” stole a shipment of 15 Samsung tablets. One runner is even accused of using a fake ID at a FedEx depot to claim a package containing an iPad Pro.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. “For two years, this alleged porch pirate gang harassed our community and built a criminal enterprise on the backs of Suffolk families and businesses,” Tierney said.
“These indictments demonstrate that we will seek out and hold accountable those who commit crimes against Suffolk County residents, no matter how widespread their operations.”
Tyranny connected with journalists His office believes the alleged thieves “hacked” a delivery system to gain inside information. All packages were shipped by Verizon or AT&T via FedEx.
Jerez has been charged with multiple felonies, including grand theft and enterprise corruption, and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Baez, meanwhile, has been charged with aggravated conspiracy and could face up to four years in prison.
Independent Jerez, Bays and Hamed’s lawyers have been sought for comment.