he accused individuals, each charged with one count of conspiracy to transport and possess stolen merchandise, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, are:
Kocharian is separately charged with one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Seven of the eight individuals are in custody, while Bezhanian remains at large.
“As alleged, the defendants were members of a sophisticated, international enterprise whose members stole millions of dollars’ worth of merchandise and sold those stolen goods on the black market,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Organized cargo theft is an attack on the integrity of our nation’s commercial supply chain and our markets more generally. Those who conspire to disrupt commerce and harm consumers will be met with a coordinated law enforcement response.”
The indictment alleges that, between in or around March 2023 and the present, the defendants, together with others known and unknown, carried out a large-scale, organized scheme to steal cargo from commercial shippers. In total, the cargo theft enterprise allegedly stole goods worth at least approximately $10 million. The group allegedly operated throughout the United States and targeted high-value merchandise including electronics, liquor, meat, fish, eggs, clothing, skincare products, and cryptocurrency mining machines, among numerous other items.
The defendants and other members of the enterprise allegedly perpetrated their scheme by diverting, possessing, transporting, and selling numerous loads of stolen merchandise. They relied on the coordinated efforts of at least one “dispatcher” located abroad and facilitators, drivers, and workers located in the United States.
