Arshpreet Singh, 28, of Sacramento, and Vikramjeet Singh, 31, of Fontana, have been convicted by a federal jury in the United States for their roles in a large-scale cargo theft conspiracy that caused losses of at least $2 million, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. The two Indian nationals were found guilty following a seven-day trial, with the scheme targeting warehouses and shippers across Southern California and other parts of the country.

What the Jury Found

Both men were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit theft from interstate or foreign shipments. Arshpreet Singh received an additional conviction on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Vikramjeet Singh was acquitted of the wire fraud conspiracy charge. The verdict came after a trial before United States District Judge Anne Hwang, who has scheduled sentencing hearings for 20 January 2027.

Arshpreet Singh faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, while Vikramjeet Singh faces a maximum of five years.

How the Scheme Operated

According to evidence presented at trial, the conspiracy ran from March 2024 to June 2025. Arshpreet Singh and his co-conspirators allegedly purchased or fraudulently used legitimate trucking companies to bid for authentic freight contracts. Once the contracts were secured, the group took possession of cargo shipments but deliberately failed to deliver them, instead stealing the goods.

In one documented instance, Arshpreet Singh met in March 2024 with the owner of Texas-based carrier Z&F Transportation LLC and agreed to purchase the company for approximately $22,000. A co-conspirator subsequently used the company to collect a shipment of televisions in Fontana; the cargo was never delivered to its intended destination in Florida.

Prosecutors further alleged that in May 2024, co-conspirators acquired another carrier, Skyways Trucking LLC, and used it to steal shipments including laptops, televisions, solar panels, and other merchandise. Freight loads were reportedly booked through brokers, including Uber Freight, before the consignments were collected and abandoned.

Stolen Goods and Locations

The stolen freight consisted largely of high-value consumer products — televisions, laptops, household appliances, electronics, vacuum cleaners, LED lights, footwear, and tyres. Thefts were linked to multiple locations across Southern California, including Fontana, Vernon, Santa Fe Springs, Perris, City of Industry, Long Beach, Compton, Commerce, Pico Rivera, Chino, and Moreno Valley. Investigators also connected the operation to activity in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Agencies Behind the Investigation

The investigation was led by the FBI's Inland Violent Crime Suppression Task Force, alongside the IRS Criminal Investigation, Fontana Police Department, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, Riverside County Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and the Fort Worth Police Department in Texas. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Chang of the Transnational Organised Crime Section and Lloyd Masson of the General Crimes Section.

This case is part of a broader pattern of freight fraud that US law enforcement agencies have flagged as an escalating concern within the trucking and logistics sector, with Southern California's dense warehouse corridors proving a particular target. Sentencing in January 2027 will determine the final penalties facing both men.