Latest news with #KeithLewis
USA Today
31-03-2025
- USA Today
Two people arrested in connection to train robberies of Nike shoes
Two people arrested in connection to train robberies of Nike shoes Two people who police say were linked to train robberies of Nike footwear were arrested in Arizona last week. The Hualapai Nation Police Department said two unnamed suspects, a male and a female who had entered the U.S. illegally, were taken into custody. The first arrest occurred on March 27 when officers pulled over a vehicle suspected of being connected to the heists. According to a news release, eight people fled the scene when the Maroon Chevy Tahoe was pulled over. The male driver, who is from Mexico, was arrested, and Nike shoes were found near the vehicle, police said. More: Train heists in remote desert areas of the West have netted millions in Nike shoes Suspect leads police on 80-mile chase According to the Hualapai Nation Police, a patrol sergeant and officer pulled over another vehicle on Highway 66 after the female driver didn't "yield to an emergency vehicle." The sergeant ordered the woman to get out of the white Toyota 4Runner. Although she initially followed instructions, police said she "re-entered the vehicle, shifted it into gear, and accelerated away from the scene at a high rate of speed." The officer was hit by the vehicle during the woman's attempted escape but did not suffer any injuries. Police pursued the woman for about 80 miles until she lost control at a construction area near the Arizona-California state line. Per the department, she struck a guardrail and was ejected from the vehicle. She was taken to a hospital in Mohave Valley for minor injuries. According to police, both suspects were transported to the Mohave County Adult Detention Center. Police did not specify if they were charged. Robbers stealing millions worth of Nike merchandise in train heists The arrests come amid a string of train heists targeting Nike shoes around the West. In less than a year, at least 10 such train heists in California and Arizona have netted about $2 million worth of Nike shoes, USA TODAY confirmed in February after the Los Angeles Times first reported the string of robberies. More than 60 people are being charged in federal court in connection with the 10 heists, as well as other thefts in 2023 and 2024. The robberies work like a 'human conveyor belt,' with the goods passed from the train to the ground, to a truck, according to Keith Lewis, vice president of operations at CargoNet, a private company that provides supply chain theft intelligence to law enforcement. 'It's done fast. It's fast as lightning,' Lewis told the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network, adding that the thieves like conducting the heists in isolated areas so they have time to flee. 'A lot of those areas you can't get to other than with a helicopter ... You can't even get to some of those rail tracks with off-road vehicles.' Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@ Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY
CNN
26-02-2025
- CNN
Thieves targeting freight trains in California and Arizona deserts make off with $2M worth of Nikes
Thieves have targeted freight trains running through the deserts of California and Arizona in a string of audacious heists resulting in the theft of more than $2 million worth of new Nike sneakers, including many that haven't hit the retail market yet, according to officials and court documents. In a January 13 robbery, suspects cut an air brake hose on a BNSF freight train traveling through a remote section of Arizona and made off with more than 1,900 pairs of unreleased Nikes worth more than $440,000, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Phoenix. Many of the shoes were Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4s, which won't be available to the public until March 14 and are expected to retail at $225 per pair, the complaint states. It was one of at least 10 heists targeting BNSF trains in remote areas of the Mojave Desert since last March that authorities are investigating, the Los Angeles Times reported. All but one resulted in the theft of Nike sneakers, according to investigators. Eleven people were charged in the January 13 burglary with possessing or receiving goods stolen from interstate shipment. All 11 have pleaded not guilty and were all ordered detained until trial. Ten are Mexicans who were in the United States illegally. Another defendant is a Mexican citizen who was in asylum proceedings in the United States, authorities said in court records. The suspects in the January 13 heist were caught with the help of tracking devices that were inside some of the boxes, the complaint says. In another case, a BNSF train came to an emergency stop near Hackberry, Arizona, on November 20 after it started losing air, according to a complaint filed in the Phoenix federal court. Sheriff's deputies in Mohave County stopped a white panel van seen leaving the area and found about 180 pairs of then-unreleased Air Jordan 11 Retro Legend Blue sneakers valued at $41,400, the complaint states. Two other cases in which BNSF freight trains were burglarized near Kingman and Seligman, Arizona, last year resulted in the theft of $612,000 worth of Nikes and eight arrests, according to federal criminal complaints. Thieves typically scout merchandise on rail lines that parallel Interstate 40 by boarding slow-moving trains, such as when they are changing tracks and opening containers, said Keith Lewis, vice president of operations at Verisk's CargoNet and a deputy sheriff in Arizona. Lewis told the Times that the thieves are sometimes tipped off to valuable shipments by associates working at warehouses or trucking companies. In another case, authorities say a Mexican man who controlled crews that burglarized trains had scouts who would tip him off on trains to target, supplied vehicles, paid crews and facilitated the sale of stolen merchandise. The suspects are often aided by accomplices in 'follow vehicles,' which track the rail cars. The loot is tossed off the train after it comes to a halt — either for a scheduled stop or because an air hose has been cut, according to Brynna Cooke, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent cited in affidavits filed in federal court. Thefts from cargo trains cost the nation's six largest freight railroads more than $100 million last year because of a combination of the value of the stolen goods and the cost of repairs to railcars the thieves damaged, and the problem is getting worse in recent years as the thefts have become more organized and sophisticated. The Association of American Railroads trade group estimates that the number of thefts jumped roughly 40% last year to 65,000 nationwide. In 2022, thieves raided cargo containers aboard trains nearing downtown Los Angeles for months, taking packages belonging to people across the U.S. and leaving the tracks blanketed with discarded boxes of items deemed not valuable enough to steal. The audacious thefts prompted authorities and freight companies to step up security in the area. In 2015, thieves stole 111 guns after busting the locks off a train in a Chicago railyard. Railroads have invested millions in measures to help prevent such thefts, but it's not like they can easily restrict access to the more than 140,000 miles of track they operate across the country. It crosses remote, rural areas and cuts through the heart of many cities carrying millions of shipments of everything from bulk commodities like coal and grain to raw materials like rock. The rail trade group said additional federal enforcement and tougher penalties are needed to deter the thefts. The railroads estimate that only about 1 out of every 10 theft attempts result in an arrest, and many of the people who are arrested are repeat offenders. One railroad even reported arresting the same individual five times in a single day. BNSF and the other major freight railroad that hauls goods across the western United States, Union Pacific, didn't immediately respond to inquiries from The Associated Press about the thefts. BNSF said in a statement to the Times that its internal police force shares information with local law enforcement and prosecutors as appropriate. The company said its crews are instructed not to confront thieves, but to report the incidents instead. But the crews rarely encounter them, it said, because the trains are so long and the thieves take care to evade detection. Cargo thefts from trains, trucks and ships are a problem in shipping hubs all across the country and a focus of the FBI. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement estimates that cargo thefts at various points along the supply chain from ports to trains to trucks account for between $15 billion and $35 billion in losses every year. Many of the more organized groups target major shipping hubs like Los Angeles, Dallas, Memphis, Chicago and Atlanta.
The Guardian
26-02-2025
- The Guardian
Train robbers swipe $2m worth of Nikes in heists across California and Arizona
Thieves have targeted freight trains running through the deserts of California and Arizona in a string of audacious heists resulting in the theft of more than $2m worth of new Nike sneakers, including many that haven't hit the retail market yet, according to officials and court documents. In a 13 January robbery, suspects cut an air brake hose on a BNSF freight train traveling through a remote section of Arizona and made off with more than 1,900 pairs of unreleased Nikes worth more than $440,000, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Phoenix. Many of the shoes were Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4s, which won't be available to the public until 14 March and are expected to retail at $225 per pair, the complaint states. It was one of at least 10 heists targeting BNSF trains in remote areas of the Mojave desert since last March that authorities are investigating, the Los Angeles Times reported. All but one resulted in the theft of Nike sneakers, according to investigators. Eleven people were charged in the 13 January burglary with possessing or receiving goods stolen from interstate shipment. All 11 have pleaded not guilty and were all ordered detained until trial. Ten are Mexicans who were in the United States illegally. Another defendant is a Mexican citizen who was in asylum proceedings in the United States, authorities said in court records. The suspects in the 13 January heist were caught with the help of tracking devices that were inside some of the boxes, the complaint says. In another case, a BNSF train came to an emergency stop near Hackberry, Arizona, on 20 November after its air brake hose was cut, according to a complaint filed in the Phoenix federal court. Sheriff's deputies in Mohave county stopped a white panel van seen leaving the area and found about 180 pairs of then unreleased Air Jordan 11 Retro Legend Blue sneakers valued at $41,400, the complaint states. Two other cases in which BNSF freight trains were burglarized near Kingman and Seligman, Arizona, last year resulted in the theft of $612,000 worth of Nikes and eight arrests, according to federal criminal complaints. Thieves typically scout merchandise on rail lines that parallel Interstate 40 by boarding slow-moving trains, such as when they are changing tracks and opening containers, said Keith Lewis, vice-president of operations at Verisk's CargoNet and a deputy sheriff in Arizona. Lewis told the LA Times that the thieves are sometimes tipped off to valuable shipments by associates working at warehouses or trucking companies. In another case, authorities say a Mexican man who controlled crews that burglarized trains had scouts who would tip him off on trains to target, supplied vehicles, paid crews and facilitated the sale of stolen merchandise. The suspects are often aided by accomplices in 'follow vehicles', which track the rail cars. The loot is tossed off the train after it comes to a halt – either for a scheduled stop or because an air hose has been cut, according to Brynna Cooke, a homeland security investigations special agent cited in affidavits filed in federal court. Thefts from cargo trains cost the country's six largest freight railroads more than $100m last year because of a combination of the value of the stolen goods and the cost of repairs to railcars the thieves damaged, and the problem is getting worse in recent years as the thefts have become more organized and sophisticated. The Association of American Railroads trade group estimates that the number of thefts jumped roughly 40% last year to 65,000 nationwide. In 2022, thieves raided cargo containers aboard trains nearing downtown Los Angeles for months, taking packages belonging to people across the US and leaving the tracks blanketed with discarded boxes of items deemed not valuable enough to steal. The audacious thefts prompted authorities and freight companies to step up security in the area. In 2015, thieves stole 111 guns after busting the locks off a train in a Chicago railyard. Railroads have invested millions in measures to help prevent such thefts, but it's not like they can easily restrict access to the more than 140,000 miles of track they operate across the country. It crosses remote, rural areas and cuts through the heart of many cities carrying millions of shipments of everything from bulk commodities like coal and grain to raw materials like rock. The rail trade group said additional federal enforcement and tougher penalties are needed to deter the thefts. The railroads estimate that only about one out of every 10 theft attempts result in an arrest, and many of the people who are arrested are repeat offenders. One railroad even reported arresting the same individual five times in a single day. BNSF and the other major freight railroad that hauls goods across the western United States, Union Pacific, didn't immediately respond to inquiries from the Associated Press about the thefts. BNSF said in a statement to the LA Times that its internal police force shares information with local law enforcement and prosecutors as appropriate. The company said its crews are instructed not to confront thieves, but to report the incidents instead. But the crews rarely encounter them, it said, because the trains are so long and the thieves take care to evade detection. Cargo thefts from trains, trucks and ships are a problem in shipping hubs all across the country and a focus of the FBI. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement estimates that cargo thefts at various points along the supply chain from ports to trains to trucks account for between $15bn and $35bn in losses every year. Many of the more organized groups target major shipping hubs such as Los Angeles, Dallas, Memphis, Chicago and Atlanta.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Yahoo
Train Robbers Have Stolen Over $2 Million Worth Of Nike Sneakers
A band of thieves has carried out at least 10 different heists targeting BNSF trains in the Mojave Desert of California and Arizona over the past year, all in the pursuit of Nike sneakers. Since last March, the group has stolen about $2 million worth of shoes. It's like an Old Western movie meets "Ocean's Eleven." These guys start by slashing an air brake hose on the train, which forces the mile-long line of railcars to come to an abrupt emergency stop. From there, they hop on and go to town on the valuable merch onboard, according to the Los Angeles Times. They usually scout out the high-value merchandise on rail lines that run parallel to Interstate 40 by boarding slow-moving trains when the railway is changing tracks or opening containers, Keith Lewis, vice president of operations at Verisk's CargoNet and a deputy sheriff in Arizona, told the outlet. These folks really seem to know what they're doing. Here's how their whole system works, from the LA Times: New sneaker releases may have touched off at least some of the recent incidents. In Perrin, Ariz., thieves allegedly cut an air brake hose on a BNSF freight train on Jan. 13 and unloaded 1,985 pairs of unreleased Nikes worth more than $440,000, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix. Many were Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4s, which won't be available to the public until March 14 and are expected to retail at $225 per pair, the complaint states. [...] Lewis said the thieves are sometimes tipped off to valuable shipments by confederates working at warehouses or trucking companies. Other times they simply look for containers with high-security locks, which they cut with reciprocating saws or bolt cutters, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent said in affidavits filed in federal court. Once the desired loot is found, the thieves alert "follow vehicles," which track the train. The stolen goods are tossed off the train after it comes to a halt — either for a scheduled stop or because an air hose has been cut or control wires inside signal boxes have been sabotaged, said the federal agent, Brynna Cooke. From there, the cargo would be loaded onto box trucks or simply hidden in nearby brush until other members of the team arrived to pick them up. It sounds almost too simple and rudimentary, but here we are. Read more: Alleged Horse-And-Buggy Thief In Way More Trouble Than If She Had Just Stolen A Car BNSF tells its crews not to confront thieves when they get on board, probably because the merchandise onboard isn't worth getting killed over. Instead, they say to report the incidents. To be fair, though, crews rarely encounter the thieves because the trains are so long. It's hard to know what's happening a mile from you. In a bit of return to tradition, there were at least 65,000 railroad cargo thefts last year, accounting for a 40 percent increase over 2023, and these figures might be on the low end. Railroads don't publish all thefts. The thefts are estimated to cost the nation's largest rail companies over $100 million, according to the LA Times. That's not an insignificant number, but these companies are so big they can absorb something like that. The Los Angeles Times has details on a few more of the robberies: In the Jan. 13 heist, stolen cases of Nikes hurled from the train were later picked up by trucks, the federal complaint states. County and state law enforcement officers were able to catch up with the vehicles with the help of tracking devices that were inside some of the boxes. Eleven people were arrested and charged with possessing or receiving goods stolen from interstate shipment. [...] And in yet another BNSF train burglary near Yampai, Ariz., on Dec. 6, investigators recovered about $48,000 worth of then-unreleased Nike Dunk Low Midnight Navy sneakers, according to a complaint filed in the Phoenix federal court charging four people with possessing or receiving goods stolen from interstate shipment. Three have pleaded not guilty, with one set for a change of plea hearing to plead guilty, and one has yet to enter a plea, according to the case docket. Investigators also recovered a combined total of $346,200 worth of then-unreleased Nike Air Jordans following two BNSF train burglaries in April and June, according to documents filed in Phoenix federal court. After getting away from the train, the merry band of thieves usually transports the merch to California to be sold or offered for sale online on websites like Amazon and eBay. Both sites tell the LA Times they have a zero-tolerance policy for criminal activity on their platforms, and they're working with law enforcement. What's almost impressive is the fact that the scheme is still happening despite the fact the group's alleged ringleader, Felipe Arturo Avalos-Mejia — AKA Pollo — has been arrested. He allegedly would use scouts to help him select pick trains to target, supplied vehicles for and paid burglary crews to sell the stolen merchandise, according to a complaint filed in the Phoenix federal court. As I mentioned earlier, train heists are back in a big way right now. I suppose folks are just returning to the ways of the Old West. We've told you about how Union Pacific's recent uptick in train robberies may be because it laid off thousands of workers. A year ago, we showed you a failed "Fast and Furious-style" train robbery that left a handful of Chevys and GMCs destroyed in Mexico. There may be a pretty good reason for this uptick in train robberies: it's not that hard. Between the fact they're not really locked and have almost no guarding, it's not very difficult for your average crime syndicate, with a bit of planning, to gain access to these trains cars and the millions of dollars in valuables they have inside. Anyway, that's really enough out of me. Head over to the Los Angeles Times for a full rundown on even more of these burglaries, arrests that have been happening, and how police are trying to stop these guys. Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Yahoo
Thieves targeting freight trains in California and Arizona deserts make off with $2M worth of Nikes
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Thieves have targeted freight trains running through the deserts of California and Arizona in a string of audacious heists resulting in the theft of more than $2 million worth of new Nike sneakers, including many that haven't hit the retail market yet, according to officials and court documents. During a Jan. 13 robbery in Perrin, Arizona, suspects cut an air brake hose on a BNSF freight train and made off with more than 1,900 pairs of unreleased Nikes worth more than $440,000, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Phoenix. Many of the shoes were Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4s, which won't be available to the public until March 14 and are expected to retail at $225 per pair, the complaint states. Authorities are investigating at least 10 heists targeting BNSF trains in remote areas of the Mojave Desert since last March, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday. All but one resulted in the theft of Nike sneakers, according to investigators. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Eleven people charged in the Jan. 13 burglary have pleaded not guilty and were all ordered detained until trial, with Arizona magistrate judges concluding the defendants posed a risk of fleeing from authorities. All 11 defendants are charged with possessing or receiving goods stolen from interstate shipment. Ten of the 11 are Mexicans who were in the United States illegally. Another defendant is a Mexican citizen who was in asylum proceedings in the United States, authorities said in court records. Thieves typically scout merchandise on rail lines that parallel Interstate 40 by boarding slow-moving trains, such as when they are changing tracks and opening containers, said Keith Lewis, vice president of operations at Verisk's CargoNet and a deputy sheriff in Arizona. Lewis told the Times that the thieves are sometimes tipped off to valuable shipments by associates working at warehouses or trucking companies. The suspects are aided by accomplices in 'follow vehicles,' which track the rail cars. The loot is tossed off the train after it comes to a halt — either for a scheduled stop or because an air hose has been cut, according to Brynna Cooke, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent cited in affidavits filed in federal court. Thefts from cargo trains cost the nation's six largest freight railroads more than $100 million last year because of a combination of the value of the stolen goods and the cost of repairs to railcars the thieves damaged, and the problem is getting worse in recent years as the thefts have become more organized and sophisticated. The Association of American Railroads trade group estimates that the number of thefts jumped roughly 40% last year to 65,000 nationwide. The railroads have invested millions in measures to help prevent such thefts, but it's not like they can easily restrict access to the more than 140,000 miles of track they operate across the country. It crosses remote, rural areas and cuts through the heart of many cities carrying millions of shipments of everything from bulk commodities like coal and grain to raw materials like rock. Automobiles and metal shipping containers filled with nearly every kind of product imaginable that's imported or exported also are transported. The rail trade group said additional federal enforcement and tougher penalties are needed to deter the thefts, which are a chronic problem. The railroads estimate that only about 1 out of every 10 theft attempts result in an arrest, and many of the people who are arrested are repeat offenders. One railroad even reported arresting the same individual five times in a single day. BNSF and the other major freight railroad that hauls goods across the western United States, Union Pacific, didn't immediately respond to inquiries from The Associated Press about the thefts, but the problem is something the entire industry is dealing with. BNSF said in a statement to the Times that its internal police force shares information with local law enforcement and prosecutors as appropriate. The company said its crews are instructed not to confront thieves, but to report the incidents instead. But the crews rarely encounter them, it said, because the trains are so long and the thieves take care to evade detection. The suspects in the Jan. 13 heist were caught with the help of tracking devices that were inside some of the boxes, the complaint says. In another case, a BNSF train came to an emergency stop near Hackberry, Arizona, on Nov. 20 after it started losing air, according to a complaint filed in the Phoenix federal court. Sheriff's deputies in Mohave County stopped a white panel van seen leaving the area and found about 180 pairs of then-unreleased Air Jordan 11 Retro Legend Blue sneakers valued at $41,400, the complaint states. The driver pleaded not guilty to possessing or receiving goods stolen from interstate shipment. Investigators also recovered a combined total of $346,200 worth of then-unreleased Nike Air Jordans following two BNSF train burglaries in April and June, according to documents obtained by the Times. Two other cases in which BNSF freight trains were burglarized near Kingman and Seligman, Arizona, last year resulted in the theft of $612,000 worth of Nikes and eight arrests, according to federal criminal complaints. In 2022, thieves raided cargo containers aboard trains nearing downtown Los Angeles for months, taking packages belonging to people across the U.S. and leaving the tracks blanketed with discarded boxes. The audacious thefts prompted authorities and freight companies to step up security in the area.
