A “brazen, multi-million-dollar interstate retail theft conspiracy,” has been thwarted, with eight men indicted in New York City. The conspirators, all natives of Uzbekistan, have been charged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. with conspiring to impersonate shipping carriers in a wide-ranging retail theft ring throughout Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey.

The defendants worked with other criminal syndicates who used phishing scams to hack and steal shipment information from real shipping carriers and brokers. Then, they allegedly used that shipment information to impersonate the legitimate companies, and stole nearly $5 million in goods, ranging from meat and cheese to copper and cigarettes, from logistics sites in the three states between October 2025 and April 2026. The stolen goods were then diverted to New York City for sale on the black market.

In a June 3 statement, the DA said there is reason to believe that there are other incidents of this alleged conduct, and the investigation remains ongoing.

“We allege these defendants operated a wide-ranging and brazen, multimillion-dollar interstate retail theft conspiracy that impacted businesses and consumers around the country,” said District Attorney Bragg. “We believe that many small businesses were harmed by this theft, some of which may not be able to recover from their financial losses. Furthermore, the intersection of sophisticated online hacking and large-scale theft is deeply concerning and will only grow more prevalent, and we are using every tool available to stay ahead of this emerging trend.”

After the hackers stole details of winning bids on freight brokerage sites, the defendants would then allegedly lease tractor trucks and affix the name and registration number of the real shipping carrier that was supposed to make the pickup. They would then drive to the logistics center, pick up the goods and coordinate further shipment into and through Manhattan.

“A theft ring this sophisticated, one that used hacked data to impersonate shipping companies and intercept cargo, doesn’t get dismantled without serious coordination across multiple levels of law enforcement,” said Port Authority of NYNJ Chief Security Officer Greg Ehrie. “Our region is a critical link in the national supply chain, and we’ll keep protecting its security and integrity for the people, businesses and communities that depend on it.”