November 18, 2023
MOBIUS DAXTER/Creative Commons
Aboudramane Karamoko, Sekou Fofanah, Shamaire Brown, and Quamaire Brown, all from Philadelphia, face charges for conspiracy to steal $1.6 million worth of merchandise from UPS warehouses across the U.S., targeting packages marked with 'lithium-ion battery' warnings.
Four Philadelphia men are facing charges in connection with a widespread conspiracy to steal merchandise from UPS warehouses across the United States, prosecutors said. Aboudramane Karamoko, 20, Sekou Fofanah, 20, Shamaire Brown, 19, and Quamaire Brown, 19, were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit cargo theft.
The men were all arrested this month, prosecutors said. Karamoko was arrested in State College, Pennsylvania, and the others—Fofanah, Shamaire Brown, and Quamaire Brown were taken into custody in Philadelphia.
Between January 2021 and April 2023, the group, along with accomplices, are accused of targeting UPS facilities in states including New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Rhode Island.
The men usually targeted the warehouses during the late hours of Saturday night or early Sunday morning by either breaking windows or prying open loading bay doors. Once inside, they specifically sought out packages marked with "lithium-ion battery" warnings, indicating high-value electronic devices like cell phones, often containing Apple products. The men also stole a gun.
The stolen products were worth approximately $1.6 million, prosecutors said.
If convicted, the men will face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or double the amount involved in the theft, whichever is greater.
Special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark played a crucial role in the investigation, with assistance from various law enforcement agencies across different states.
