Pennsylvania Duo Sentenced in $142,000 Smartphone Theft Scheme

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HARRISBURG, PA — Two Harrisburg residents have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to steal interstate shipments of cell phones. Parmod Kumar, 41, and Reecha Saini, 36, received sentences of 12 months and 8 months imprisonment respectively on Wednesday, January 10, 2024.

The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo, who also ordered the pair to pay over $142,000 in restitution. The amount corresponds to the total value of the stolen smartphones.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the duo had previously admitted to their involvement in the scheme, which spanned from 2018 to 2021. They enlisted employees at a UPS facility in Harrisburg to pilfer packages they believed contained smartphones. After receiving the stolen goods, Kumar and Saini compensated the employees and orchestrated the sale of the phones at a local convenience store in Harrisburg.

The case, which exposes a significant breach of trust within the parcel delivery industry, was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Swatara Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.

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