A New York man was indicted on Apr. 1 for allegedly conspiring to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of cargo, including beer, frozen snow crabs, blueberries, and designer cologne. Romoy Forbes, a 31-year-old Jamaican national living in Deer Park, N.Y., faces charges of interstate transportation of stolen goods and conspiracy to commit that offense. He was previously arrested in Long Island after being charged by complaint in the District of Massachusetts and is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in Worcester.
The case highlights concerns about cargo theft schemes that use fraudulent communications to impersonate legitimate trucking companies. According to the indictment, Forbes and his co-conspirators allegedly used fake emails appearing as legitimate carriers to secure shipments from shippers who advertised goods needing transportation.
Prosecutors allege that on July 15, 2025, Forbes obtained frozen snow crab worth approximately $325,000 from a warehouse in Worcester by falsely claiming he represented an Illinois-based trucking company. Instead of delivering the seafood to its intended customer in Florida, it was transported to Queens, N.Y. Similarly, Forbes is accused of obtaining beer valued at $35,200 from Newark meant for Maine but instead delivering it elsewhere for payment. On another occasion involving blueberries from Winslow Junction intended for Illinois delivery through a Maine freight service company, text messages cited in charging documents show Forbes arranging alternate delivery with a contact referred to as “My customer for everything.”
The indictment also details an alleged plot on July 25 involving over $430,000 worth of designer cologne taken from Ronkonkoma under false pretenses and offered for sale via video message.
If convicted on the charge of interstate transportation of stolen goods Forbes could face up to ten years in prison; the conspiracy charge carries up to five years’ imprisonment. Both offenses may result in fines up to $250,000 each and supervised release periods.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said the case forms part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated law enforcement efforts.
Officials remind the public that “the details contained in the charging document are allegations” and “the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.”
