Picture this: a crew of cunning individuals allegedly pulled off a string of heists involving Oculus VR headsets. Their strategy? Just wait for truck drivers to step away, maybe for a quick meal or a bathroom break, and then seize the moment to make their escape with the entire vehicle.
Recently, as spotlighted by both 404 Media and Court Watch, a gang of six faced indictments after supposedly swiping semi-trucks packed with high-value items like underwear, ATVs, and cutting-edge tech gear. According to court papers, their crime spree stretched across various states—from Kentucky and Ohio to Tennessee and Indiana.
Their modus operandi was straightforward but effective: stake out at distribution centers, tail semi-trucks to rest stops or gas stations, and then wait for the drivers to leave their rigs. The moment the coast was clear, they’d commandeer the truck, taking off with everything, trailer included. Once they got to a safe spot, they’d link the stolen trailer to their own tractor truck, abandoning the pilfered one.
One notable incident occurred on May 6, 2022. On this day, two gang members zeroed in on a vehicle in Louisville, Kentucky brimming with Meta Oculus virtual reality headsets, valued at a whopping $1.5 million. They allegedly nabbed the truck in Indiana and made a beeline for Vanderburgh County, ditching the tractor truck but not before securing the valuable trailer.
The indictment reveals this group was meticulous, often obscuring logos or identifiers on stolen trailers and swapping out license plates, all to stay under law enforcement’s radar. And it wasn’t just Meta in their crosshairs. They allegedly pilfered trucks loaded with goods worth hundreds of thousands from companies like Microsoft, Sony, Logitech, JBL, and Bose.
As for the spoils of their illicit endeavors, they reportedly sold the stolen haul to a buyer in Florida, albeit at a fraction of its actual retail worth.
