Three Philly men have copped to running a grand theft operation that nabbed them over $1.6 million in hot merchandise, pillaged from UPS warehouses coast to coast. Sekou Fofanah, 20, along with 19-year-olds Shamaire Brown and Quamaire Brown, sang like canaries in Camden federal court, admitting they conspired to break into some 55 UPS facilities and swipe high-value packages, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. The trio pled guilty to conspiracy to commit cargo theft, laying bare an operation that stretched from January 2021 to April 2023.
The young men targeted United Parcel Service storerooms from New Jersey to Rhode Island, and Indiana to Pennsylvania. They broke in by shattering or prying open the loading bay doors and focused their thievery on packages labeled with “lithium-ion battery” warnings — typically a beacon for pricey electronics. These daring raids, led to a fat haul of cell phones and similar devices worth a king's ransom. Despite their age, the Brown twins and Fofanah proved to be prolific, partaking in the burglary of at least 55 UPS warehouses, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey.
The snag in their freedom is a conspiracy charge that could land each of them up to five years behind bars, with a hefty fine of $250,000 or double the dough of the loot — whichever hits their wallets harder. The collared culprits are now waiting to be sentenced for their high-stakes game of theft.
Props were given by Sellinger to the sleuths from Homeland Security Investigations Newark led by Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso. In a team effort, multiple law enforcement agencies including South Brunswick Police and Warwick, Rhode Island, Police, among others, came together to crack the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark takes the reins of the prosecution. As for the alleged conductor of this theft symphony, Aboudramane Karamoko, he's still dodging the gavel, with his innocence holding up until the courts say otherwise.
