5 LA residents face charges for nearly 200 Apple electronics thefts.

Los Angeles‍ Residents Charged with​ Targeting Apple Merchandise Sellers

LOS⁤ ANGELES—Federal prosecutors announced on Aug. 30 that five Los Angeles County​ residents have been charged with nearly 200 thefts, robberies, ‌and fraudulent transactions targeting individuals ⁢selling Apple Inc. merchandise online.

Three of⁣ the defendants were arrested ‍on Aug. 29 and charged with Hobbs Act robbery, ​which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, according to the⁣ U.S. ⁣Department of ⁤Justice.

The defendants, Jamari Deon Turner, 21, of Lawndale, Jerome Joseph, 25, of South Los Angeles, ⁣and Tyler ⁤Russell, 22, of Lawndale,⁢ are expected to make their ‍initial appearances in Los Angeles ​federal court.

Two ‌other ‌defendants, Kesai Doss, ‍23, of Palmdale, and Ellis Garrett, 22, of South Los Angeles, are currently‍ in state custody‍ for unrelated matters. They have been charged separately with wire fraud, which also carries a maximum sentence of 20 years ⁤in federal‍ prison. They are‍ expected to appear in court in the coming‍ weeks.

According ​to prosecutors, from February 2018 through at least ‌June 2020, there ​were nearly 200 incidents of theft, robbery, and fraud targeting⁤ victims using platforms⁢ like Craiglist and‍ Facebook Marketplace. The majority of these crimes​ took place in Inglewood, Paramount, ‌Long Beach, and⁤ downtown Los Angeles.

In most cases,⁢ the defendants would arrange meetings​ through online ⁢marketplaces to purchase Apple products such as phones, laptops, ⁢and other devices. However, during these meetings, the ‍defendants would swiftly snatch the devices and escape, often running through apartment buildings to evade capture. They would also⁢ use accomplices to lock the victims out of the buildings by closing security gates.

The defendants would ‌resort to threatening,⁣ attacking, or brandishing firearms to ⁢deter victims from pursuing them. The affidavit reveals that many of the cases were connected through shared phone ⁢numbers, email addresses, or online accounts.

Kesai​ Doss and Ellis‌ Garrett were identified as the most​ prolific thieves‍ among those charged. Multiple victims recognized Doss as the individual who stole their ‌electronic devices. Furthermore, Doss and Garrett’s phones were used to coordinate fraudulent meetings.