Three Florida Men Sentenced in $9-Million Frozen Meat Crime Ring

Arrested for approximately 45 thefts totaling over $9 million in loss, three Florida men have been sentenced for stealing semi-loads of frozen beef and pork from packing plants across six Midwest states.

Starting in June 2021, the criminal enterprise, based in Miami, Florida, targeted meat-packing plants in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.

Two of nearly 45 theft events include $100,000 in pork products stolen from the JBS USA plant in Ottumwa, Iowa, and three semi-trailers loaded with beef stolen from their plant in Grand Island, Nebraska. 

Investigators at the Lancaster County Nebraska Sheriff’s Office, along with Homeland Security Investigation (HIS) Omaha, utilized cell phone records and GPS tracking devices to identify and arrest three suspects involved in the criminal enterprise on October 20, 2022.

Yoslany Leyva Del Sol, 39; Ledier Machin Andino, 38; and Delvis L. Fuentes, 40, were charged with transportation of stolen goods and money laundering in Florida’s federal court.

After pleading guilty to possession of stolen goods in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Florida, the three men were sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The men were also ordered to pay, in total, more than $206,000 in restitution.

EDITOR’S TAKE:

Commit the crime, do the time! I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time, but after being caught, convicted and now serving jail time, perhaps they will have time to contemplate their actions. Unfortunately, crimes of this nature add to the cost for every consumer. Especially in a time of record high food inflation, adding an additional stolen goods penalty on top seems very unfair and unnecessary.  Hope these criminals enjoy the meat where they're headed!