Truck driver granted asylum in 2023 sentenced to prison for theft of 900 TVs

A truck driver granted asylum in the United States two years ago was sentenced to prison for the theft of 900 TVs on Tuesday. 

The sentence was given to truck driver Gurvinder Singh on September 16th in McAllen, Texas for a crime that occurred in September 2024. 

According to Valley Central, two semi trucks loaded with TVs left a warehouse in Summerville, South Carolina en route to Cullman, Alabama and Douglas, Georgia. The big box store reportedly received proof of delivery documents for each of the truckloads, but never actually received the TVs. 

The Texas Department of Public Safety then tracked the trucks to Laredo, Texas where they located one of the semi trucks still loaded with about 900 TVs worth an estimated $130,000. 

The other semi truck loaded with TVs stopped at a gas station, where Singh hooked the loaded trailer up to his own rig and drove them to Hidalgo County. The following day, Singh delivered the $130,000 load of 900 TVs to a warehouse on High Lowe Drive in Hidalgo, Texas, where he was arrested. 

During the investigation, it was determined that Singh “had, in his possession, some documents related to other thefts that had also occurred.”

Singh has since pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen property – a federal felony. During his plea, Singh admitted that he knew the televisions were stolen and transported them anyway. 

“I have made a mistake, for which I ask for forgiveness,” Singh said at his sentencing on Tuesday. Singh was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison, with two years of supervised release unless he is deported. 

It is unclear when Singh entered the United States, but it is documented that he was granted asylum by an immigration judge in San Francisco in 2023. Singh was charged with rape in 2020, but the charges “were never pursued and were ultimately dismissed.”