BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS — Federal prosecutors say a New York man is facing charges after allegedly taking part in a cargo theft scheme that used hacked email accounts from legitimate trucking companies to fraudulently book loads, pick them up under false pretenses, and then reroute the freight for illicit resale.

Authorities identified the defendant as Romoy Forbes, 31, a Jamaican national living in New York. He has been charged with interstate transportation of stolen goods and conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen goods, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

Alleged scheme

Investigators say the thefts followed a similar playbook: a co-conspirator allegedly compromised a trucking company’s email, posed as that carrier to communicate with shippers, and arranged legitimate-looking transportation moves. Forbes allegedly then arrived at warehouses pretending to be the contracted carrier, picked up the freight, and diverted it from its intended destination.

Snow crab theft (Worcester, MA)

Court documents allege that on July 15, 2025, Forbes picked up 33,750 pounds of frozen snow crab valued at $325,000 from a warehouse in Worcester, Massachusetts. Prosecutors say the load was supposed to go to a customer in Jacksonville, Florida, but instead was transported to a grocery store location in Queens, New York. Authorities say Forbes also photographed the pallets of packaged crab using his cellphone.

Blueberry theft (Winslow Junction, NJ)

Prosecutors also allege Forbes stole a shipment of blueberries on June 25, 2025 in Winslow Junction, New Jersey after a different carrier email account was allegedly hacked and used to book the load to a customer in Illinois. Instead of delivering it as scheduled, Forbes allegedly arranged to sell the fruit to a phone contact saved as “My customer for everything.”

Cologne theft (Ronkonkoma, NY)

Authorities further allege that on July 25, 2025, Forbes conspired to steal about $433,830 worth of designer cologne in Ronkonkoma, New York. The shipment was booked to go to Los Angeles, California, but prosecutors say Forbes allegedly offered the fragrances for sale to the same contact (“My customer for everything”) and sent a video of the cologne, receiving a reply of “Ok.”

Arrest and potential penalties

Forbes was arrested on Long Island and is expected to appear in federal court at a later date. Prosecutors say the interstate transportation of stolen goods charge carries up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The conspiracy charge carries up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Federal officials emphasized the allegations are part of an ongoing case, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

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