Criminals posing as supermarket buyers defrauded seafood importer Netuno out of USD 1.3 million (EUR 1.27 million) in recent months.
Rene Hechevarria Echemend, Ernesto Aguilera Baute, and Jose Luis Batista Suarez are facing seven counts of grand theft cargo of over USD 50,000 (EUR 49,000) and seven counts of obtaining property over USD 5,000 (EUR 4,900), the Miami Herald reported.
A man who identified himself as Brian Gomez purchased seafood from Miami, Florida, U.S.A.-based Netuno on behalf of a grocery chain, which was not named because the case is under investigation, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
“On 10 June, 2022, an individual who appeared to be very knowledgeable about the seafood industry and practice contacted Netuno about purchasing lobster on behalf of a well-known supermarket chain,” Netuno Attorney Vinicius Adam said in a statement to SeafoodSource. “When we were initially approached, the information provided by the individual using the name Brian Gomez was consistent with our experience as importers of seafood products."
The man placed orders on several dates from late June through late July 2022. After each purchase order, Gomez was told to pick up the seafood loads at a warehouse in the Miami-Dade County town of Medley, Florida, according to FHP.
Around 45 days after the first purchase, Netuno staffers grew concerned when they contacted the supermarket’s corporate office and were told that Gomez didn’t work for the chain and that the email address he used was fraudulent.
Around 1 August, a routine audit of the supplier’s records “revealed some inconsistencies which were later confirmed,” Adam said.
Adam contacted the Medley Police Department, which swiftly formed a task force with the Miami Police Department and Florida Highway Patrol. The agency’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence began conducting surveillance in the surroundings of the Medley warehouse in early August.
“Investigators say they saw the truck and trailer used in the previous thefts backing in on one of the bay doors of the warehouse. Aguilera Baute, a Hialeah resident, signed the order’s paperwork, troopers say, and left with Hechevarria Echemend, who lives west of Miami Gardens, in the tractor-trailer carrying the seafood load,” the Miami Herald reported. Troopers subsequently arrested the three men without incident.
The FHP investigation led to the retrieval of the vast majority of the stolen merchandise, although the tally has not been finalized, Adam said.
“The law enforcement officers conducted themselves with professionalism and skill. We cannot begin to express our immense gratitude to the men and women who took part in this operation,” Adam said. “As a South Florida company, we are aware that the danger of fraud is always present. It is good to know that law enforcement is supportive of the business community.”
Photo courtesy of Pelow Media/Shutterstock
