As Bay Area tech companies rake in billions, brazen and sophisticated crews of bandits are taking a piece of the action

"Since at least 2020, police in the Bay Area have been attempting to stop a brazen Southern California heist crew that has made millions from dozens of nighttime burglaries and highway robberies, targeting shipments of tech industry hardware. They broke into warehouses, distribution centers, cross-dock facilities, and even loaded trailer trucks that were robbed blind while the driver stopped at a red light."

"Over the last five years, authorities say this group has been linked to $22 million worth of theft, including a single instance last December in Burlingame, where a shipment of $7.04 million in Nvidia computer chips was stolen from a warehouse, just one day before it was to be delivered to Supermicro facility in San Jose. Now, six suspected members of the heist crew have landed in federal court,"

"They have been identified as Johnathan Alexander Chamorro, Galo Horacio Chamorro, Jennifer Prado-Flores, Joao Jose Chamorro, Cheney Libanez Bravo, Cristian Mendoza-Valencia. All six have been charged with conspiracy to commit two thefts: an attempted heist from a trailer truck that was parked outside of a car dealership in Fremont last Aug. 4, and the Oct. 8 theft of $100,000 worth of Apple watches from Ashtabula County, Ohio. Authorities say Johnathan Chamorro and Joao Chamorro are brothers, and that another of their siblings is a suspected serial cargo thief living in Los Angeles County."

Police in the Bay Area have attempted to stop a Southern California heist crew since at least 2020. The crew broke into warehouses, distribution centers, cross-dock facilities, and loaded trailer trucks, sometimes stealing while drivers were stopped at red lights. Over five years the group has been linked to $22 million in theft, including a $7.04 million shipment of Nvidia chips stolen in Burlingame one day before delivery to a Supermicro facility in San Jose. Six suspected members were charged in federal court with conspiracy for an attempted Fremont trailer heist on Aug. 4 and the Oct. 8 theft of $100,000 in Apple watches from Ashtabula County, Ohio. 2022 raids recovered tools, firearms, radio jammers, and $618,158.66 in suspected stolen merchandise.

Read at The Mercury News