A Chicago man faces federal charges after authorities say he posed as a carrier agent, duping companies into releasing shipments to him and making off with more than $9.5 million in goods.
Aivaras Zigmantas, a 39-year-old Lithuanian national who has lived in the Chicago area and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly posing as an agent for carriers and stealing shipments that were released to him. He intended to steal $13.5 million in goods and actually made off with more than $9.5 million worth of items, including liquor and commercial-grade copper, authorities say in an indictment.
Zigmantas pleaded not guilty on June 5 to charges of wire fraud, bank fraud and theft of interstate shipments.
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The scheme lasted from March 2020 through September 2023, the indictment says. Zigmantas worked with unidentified people and allegedly used fake names to pull off the scheme, submitting bids to transport shipments and later diverting the shipments from their intended destinations.
The complex scheme involved Zigmantas removing goods from the original truck and placing them on another before transporting the stolen items to a new location, the indictment says. He rented and used heavy equipment, even renting warehouses to hide the goods.
Zigmantas created phony carriers, such as Best Global Express, Mato Trans and Martin Global, according to the indictment, and obtained U.S. Department of Transportation and motor carrier numbers. He also made up fraudulent brokers, such as Total Freight Broker and Mat Broker.
He targeted victims on online marketplaces like Load Board A, authorities said. He also posed as an agent of legitimate carriers and brokers.
Zigmantas recruited people to join the operation and obtained fraudulent licenses and passports as well, the indictment says.
The indictment didn’t name companies that fell victim to the scam or those for which he allegedly posed as an agent.