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How 2 Indians used fake trucking firms to steal millions in US cargo theft
Two Indian nationals have been convicted in a US cargo theft conspiracy involving at least $2 million in stolen goods. Sentencing is scheduled for January 2027.
Arshpreet Singh and
Vikramjeet Singh have been convicted in a US cargo theft conspiracy.
A United States federal jury Tuesday convicted two Indian nationals of participating in a sophisticated cargo theft conspiracy that stole freight valued at least $2 million from shippers across Southern California and Texas.
Arshpreet Singh, 28, of Sacramento, and Vikramjeet Singh, 31, of Fontana, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit theft from interstate or foreign shipments, according to a release from the US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California.
Arshpreet Singh was also convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The jury acquitted Vikramjeet Singh of the wire fraud conspiracy charge.
According to evidence presented during a seven-day trial in Los Angeles federal court, the defendants and their co-conspirators operated from March 2024 to June 2025. They purchased legitimate trucking companies or fraudulently used existing ones to bid on authentic shipping contracts. Once awarded the jobs, they took possession of the cargo but never delivered it to the intended destinations.
The stolen loads frequently consisted of high-value consumer electronics such as televisions and laptops, along with appliances and other goods. Additional items taken during the conspiracy included vacuums, LED lights, shoes and tyres.
Thefts occurred at warehouses and facilities in Fontana, Vernon, Santa Fe Springs, Perris, City of Industry, Long Beach, Compton, Commerce, Pico Rivera, Chino and Moreno Valley, as well as in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Prosecutors detailed specific transactions that advanced the scheme. In March 2024, Arshpreet Singh met with the owner of Texas-based Z&F Transportation LLC and purchased the company for approximately $22,000. Later that month, a co-conspirator acting on behalf of the firm picked up a load of televisions in Fontana that was never delivered to its intended destination in Florida.
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In May 2024, co-conspirators acquired Skyways Trucking LLC and used it to steal laptops, televisions, solar panels and other merchandise. The conspirators booked loads through brokers, including Uber Freight, collected them, and then diverted them.
Several years in prison likely
US District Judge Anne Hwang scheduled sentencing for both men on January 20, 2027. Arshpreet Singh faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison. Vikramjeet Singh faces a maximum of five years.
The FBI’s Inland Violent Crime Suppression Task Force, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Fontana Police Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fort Worth Police Department in Texas investigated the case.
Assistant US Attorneys Stephen Chang of the Transnational Organized Crime Section and Lloyd Masson of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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