A Philadelphia man has been convicted of organizing a large-scale cargo theft conspiracy targeting interstate shipments of items such as crab legs, televisions, and dimes worth $230,000.
Haneef Palmer, 33, was sentenced to 121 months in prison, three years of probation, and ordered to pay restitution of $1,080,786.44, according to a September 10 press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
In March 2026, Palmer pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, one count of robbery in furtherance of interstate commerce (Hobbs robbery), one count of possession of goods stolen from an interstate shipment, one count of theft of public funds, and one count of possession of stolen public funds, as well as five counts of theft of an interstate shipment.
Authorities stated that, between January 1, 2023, and July 31, 2023, Palmer conspired with others to steal $1.5 million from interstate shipments that were in tractor-trailers in the Philadelphia area.
Authorities have identified more than ten victims of this cargo theft scheme.
Palmer and his accomplices would attack the trucks while the driver was asleep or when the vehicle was unattended, using bolt cutters and other tools to force open the trailer and steal the merchandise inside. The stolen goods were then sold to local contacts.
During the theft of a shipment of commercial refrigerators on April 1, 2023, Palmer and others “attacked and injured the driver,” according to authorities.
Palmer also admitted to participating in the theft of $230,000 worth of dimes from a tractor-trailer on April 13, 2023.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department.
