Four Men Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar Cargo Thefts in Macon and Southeastern U.S.
Yunior Hernandez, a/k/a “Yunior Hernandez Guzman,” Roberto Quesada Lopez, Carlos Alberto Valdes, and Yubani Millares Vera have been sentenced to prison for multiple cargo thefts throughout the Southeastern United States, totaling more than $1.7 million.
“Thefts of interstate shipments disrupt the production and delivery of needed goods and result in detrimental financial impact on businesses, consumers, and the U.S. economy generally,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The sentencing of these defendants is an example of our office’s commitment to prosecute these criminals as well as a warning to others that these offenses are an investigative priority for our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.”
“The FBI takes cargo theft very seriously, due to the significant impact it has on the United States economy, and the potential for stolen goods to be used to fund other criminal organizations,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This theft conspiracy did not stop at our state border, and neither did our investigation. Thanks to our partnership with Miami agencies, we tracked these thieves across the entire southeast, and now they will be held accountable for their crimes.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court revealed that throughout 2019, the defendants operated a cargo theft ring throughout the Southeastern United States, stealing cargo worth more than $1.7 million. The stolen goods were taken to Florida and sold. The thefts included:
- $500,000 worth of computers in Macon, Georgia, on May 18, 2019
- $640,000 worth of computers meant for the Centers for Disease Control in Emerson, Georgia, on June 11, 2019
- $110,000 worth of copper in Denmark, Tennessee, on July 21, 2019
- $110,000 worth of copper in Glade Springs, Virginia, on September 2, 2019
- $110,000 worth of copper in Fairview, Tennessee, on October 6, 2019
- $340,000 worth of apparel in Kingsland, Georgia, on November 16, 2019
Yunior Hernandez, 50, of Homestead, Florida, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $880,857.43 in restitution.
Carlos Alberto Valdes, 55, of Hialeah, Florida, was sentenced to three years and ten months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,543,890.60 in restitution.
Roberto Quesada Lopez, 44, of Hialeah, Florida, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison and ordered to pay $1,229,888.32 in restitution.
Yubani Millares Vera, 49, of Hialeah, Florida, was sentenced to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay at least $1,760,479.12 in restitution.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Miami-Dade County Police Department, Economic Crime Bureau, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Miami Field Office.
