Florida man guilty of interstate scheme to steal big rigs loaded with millions of dollars in electronics from southern Indiana
A federal jury in Indiana found a Florida man guilty of taking part in a wide-ranging interstate cargo theft scheme targeting truckers hauling goods for national companies like Meta, Microsoft, and L Brands.
Juan D. Perez-Gonzalez, 51, has been found guilty on charges of conspiracy, possession of goods stolen from interstate commerce, and interstate transportation of stolen property, according to a July 23 statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
Five co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty to participating in the same cargo theft scheme.
| Defendant | Guilty Plea | Sentencing Date |
| Carlos Enrique Freire-Pifferrer, 46, of Louisville, KY | Conspiracy; two counts of Interstate transportation of stolen property | August 22, 2025 |
| Jose Antonio Gomez-Pifferrer, 33, of Louisville, KY | Conspiracy; two counts of Interstate transportation of stolen property | October 24, 2025 |
| Dalwy De Armas-Rodriguez, 38, of Louisville, KY | Conspiracy | August 28, 2025 |
| Luis Velazquez, 58, of Jacksonville, FL | Conspiracy; interstate transportation of stolen property | August 22, 2025 |
| Richard Alameda, 47, of Florida | Conspiracy | September 4, 2025 |
Officials say that between December 2021 and May 2023, Perez-Gonzalez and his co-conspirators conspired to steal semi trucks loaded with high-end electronics and other items in southern Indiana and other states and transported the stolen cargo to Florida, where it was sold at a discounted rate.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office describes the cargo theft operation:
“The co-conspirators traveled from various locations, including Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio to target various distribution facilities used by national companies such as Meta, Microsoft, and L Brands. The group surveilled these facilities and followed semi-tractor trailers as they departed. When a driver stopped to rest, refuel, or park, the conspirators stole the entire tractor-trailer.
In many instances, the group abandoned the stolen tractor nearby and reattached the trailer to a different semi-tractor they operated. To evade law enforcement, they painted over logos and identifying numbers and use different license plates on the stolen trailers.
They transported the stolen cargo to Miami, Florida, where it was sold to buyers, including co-defendant Richard Alameda, for a fraction of its retail value. The group carried out at least 14 separate cargo thefts, resulting in the theft of over $2 million in Oculus virtual reality headsets from a Meta facility, $940,000 in Microsoft products, $1 million in Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret merchandise, $669,000 in Harmon-JBL audio products, $180,000 in Logitech products, and $480,000 worth of Bose audio speakers, among other stolen items.“
Officials say that this is the third time that Perez-Gonzalez has been convicted on a federal cargo theft charge.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Indiana State Police, and Kentucky State Police.