Members of a Cargo Theft Ring Sentenced to Prison

www.justice.gov, June 26, 2024

ROME, Ga. – 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: Throughout 2019, the defendants, Yunior Hernandez, Roberto Quesada Lopez, Carlos Alberto Valdes, and Yubani Millares Vera, operated a cargo theft ring throughout the Southeastern United States. In total, the defendants stole cargo worth more than $1.7 million. The stolen goods were then taken to Florida and sold.

The defendants stole over:

•$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; and

•$340,000 worth of apparel in Kingsland, Georgia, on November 16, 2019.

Yunior Hernandez, 50, of Homestead, Florida, was sentenced to two years, nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $880,857.43 in restitution. Hernandez was convicted of conspiracy on December 20, 2022, after he pleaded guilty.

Carlos Alberto Valdes, 55, of Hialeah, Florida, was sentenced to three years, 10 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $1,543,890.60 in restitution. Valdes was convicted of conspiracy on January 19, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.

Roberto Quesada Lopez, 44, of Hialeah, Florida, was sentenced to two years, six months in prison. He was ordered to pay $1,229,888.32 in restitution. Lopez was convicted of conspiracy on July 18, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.

Yubani Millares Vera, 49, of Hialeah, Florida, was sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay at least $1,760,479.12 in restitution. Millares Vera was convicted of conspiracy on March 14, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistance was provided by the Miami-Dade County Police Department, Economic Crime Bureau, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Miami Field Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Huber prosecuted the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

News Article: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/members-cargo-theft-ring-sentenced-prison