Cargo Theft Ring Leader Convicted of Stealing Millions in High-End Electronics

A federal jury has found Juan D. Perez-Gonzalez, 51, of Florida, guilty of conspiracy, possession of goods stolen from interstate commerce, and interstate transportation of stolen property for his role in a year-long conspiracy to steal millions of dollars in high-end electronics and other products from shipping facilities and cargo trucks in southern Indiana and other states.

Perez-Gonzalez and his co-conspirators conspired to steal tractor-trailers containing commercially available, high-end electronics and other items, which they later resold at a discount for profit. The group targeted various distribution facilities used by national companies such as Meta, Microsoft, and L Brands, and carried out at least 14 separate cargo thefts, resulting in the theft of over $2 million in Oculus virtual reality headsets, $940,000 in Microsoft products, and $1 million in Bath and Body Works and Victoria's Secret merchandise, among other stolen items.

This is Perez-Gonzalez's third federal conviction for cargo theft, with his previous offenses including stealing $500,000 worth of liquor from a distribution facility in Jeffersonville, Indiana in 2009 and engaging in a scheme to steal cargo from tractor-trailers in the Southern District of Indiana in 2014.

Key Takeaways:

• Perez-Gonzalez and his co-conspirators stole over $2 million in high-end electronics and other products from shipping facilities and cargo trucks in southern Indiana and other states.
• The group targeted distribution facilities used by national companies such as Meta, Microsoft, and L Brands.
• At least 14 separate cargo thefts were carried out by the group, resulting in the theft of over $2 million in Oculus virtual reality headsets, $940,000 in Microsoft products, and $1 million in Bath and Body Works and Victoria's Secret merchandise, among other stolen items.
• Perez-Gonzalez's previous offenses include stealing $500,000 worth of liquor from a distribution facility in Jeffersonville, Indiana in 2009 and engaging in a scheme to steal cargo from tractor-trailers in the Southern District of Indiana in 2014.
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Indiana State Police, and Kentucky State Police investigated this case, with U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt presiding over the trial and U.S. Attorney Wheeler leading the prosecution.

Statistics:

• Total theft value: over $2 million
• Number of cargo thefts: at least 14
• Companies targeted: Meta, Microsoft, L Brands, and others
• Total value of Oculus virtual reality headsets stolen: over $2 million
• Total value of Microsoft products stolen: $940,000
• Total value of Bath and Body Works and Victoria's Secret merchandise stolen: $1 million

Sources:

• United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Indiana State Police
• Kentucky State Police
• Operation Take Back America
• Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion