A cargo theft scheme used established trucking companies to secure real loads before freight disappeared. Prosecutors tied the operation to at least $2 million in losses across the United States. High-value electronics, appliances, solar panels, shoes and tires became targets during the conspiracy. A federal jury in Los Angeles convicted two men Tuesday for participating in the operation.
Arshpreet Singh, 28, of Sacramento, and Vikramjeet Singh, 31, of Fontana, California, participated in the scheme. Evidence showed conspirators purchased or fraudulently used real carriers to bid on authentic shipping contracts. After securing transportation jobs, participants collected merchandise from warehouses but never completed the deliveries. The criminal activity covered March 2024 through June 2025, according to federal prosecutors.
The stolen products included televisions, laptops, vacuums, LED lights and other consumer goods. Authorities also identified appliances, footwear and tires among the missing merchandise. Theft locations stretched throughout Southern California and reached Grand Prairie, Texas. Prosecutors documented activity in Fontana, Long Beach, Compton, Chino, Commerce and several surrounding cities.
Established carriers became part of the scheme
One transaction shows how the operation gained access to freight. Arshpreet Singh met the owner of Texas-based Z&F Transportation LLC during March 2024. He purchased the established carrier for approximately $22,000, according to trial evidence. Later that month, a co-conspirator collected televisions in Fontana under the company’s name.
That shipment should have traveled from California to its intended destination in Florida. Instead, the televisions never arrived, according to the Justice Department. The transaction gave conspirators access through an existing transportation business rather than a newly created operation. Trial evidence showed the group repeated that strategy with another carrier shortly afterward.
Co-conspirators purchased Skyways Trucking LLC in May 2024. They then used that business to steal laptops, televisions, solar panels and additional merchandise. Participants booked shipments through brokers including Uber Freight before taking possession of those loads. The freight never reached the destinations listed on those transportation agreements.
Jury returns guilty verdicts
Jurors heard evidence during a seven-day federal trial in Los Angeles. They convicted both defendants of conspiracy to commit theft from interstate or foreign shipments. Arshpreet Singh also received a guilty verdict for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Jurors acquitted Vikramjeet Singh on the separate wire fraud conspiracy count.
U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang scheduled sentencing hearings for Jan. 20, 2027. Arshpreet Singh faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison. Vikramjeet Singh faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years. Those figures represent legal maximums, not the prison terms the court will necessarily impose.
Several agencies investigated the case across California and Texas. Participants included the FBI’s Inland Violent Crime Suppression Task Force and IRS Criminal Investigation. Local partners included police departments in Fontana and Fort Worth, Texas. Sheriff’s departments from San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles counties also assisted investigators.
Why it matters
Cargo thieves do not always need fake companies to reach valuable freight. This case shows how established carrier identities can provide access to legitimate shipping contracts and high-value loads.
Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phil Brink.
Thieves steal PlusAI trailers with NVIDIA branding, get 40,000 pounds of sand instead – FreightWaves
National cargo theft blitz leads to arrests, $635K in recovered freight – FreightWaves
Arkansas I-40 truck inspections uncover $5.1M in cocaine plus meth and stolen UTV – FreightWaves
Brokerage Compliance Symposium
The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.
F3 Awards Dinner
The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.
F3: Future of Freight Festival
Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.
The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register NowThe night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register NowIndustry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now