Eight members of a Northeast theft ring have been charged with fraud for impersonating legitimate shipping companies and stealing nearly $5 million in cheese, cigarettes, and copper from logistics sites in Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey, according to a press release issued last week by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

The stolen goods were then diverted to New York City for sale on the black market.

The defendants allegedly interacted with other criminal syndicates, who conducted phishing scams to hack and steal the shipment information.

According to court documents and statements, the defendants operated the theft ring between October 2025 and April 2026.

In total, the defendants allegedly committed six thefts and stole $165,000 worth of lamb; $432,000 worth of cheese; $295,000 worth of beef; more than $266,000 worth of copper; and more than $3.3 million of cigarettes.

When a manufacturer wants to ship large quantities of goods, they contract with a shipping broker who advertises the job using an online platform. Shipping carriers will then make bids, and the winner gets the final shipment details from the broker.

The defendants allegedly received the winning bids from hacker groups and they would then would then lease tractor trucks and affix the name and registration number of the real shipping carrier that was supposed to make the pickup. They would then drive to the logistics center, pick up the goods and coordinate further shipment into and through Manhattan.

“From steaks to cheese to cigarettes, these defendants were running a veritable supermarket of stolen goods,” said Port Authority Chief Security Officer Greg Ehrie. “A theft ring this sophisticated, one that used hacked data to impersonate shipping companies and intercept cargo, doesn’t get dismantled without serious coordination across multiple levels of law enforcement. Our region is a critical link in the national supply chain, and we’ll keep protecting its security and integrity for the people, businesses and communities that depend on it.”

Officials indicate the investigation remains ongoing.