A New York man is facing serious federal charges after authorities say he orchestrated a multi-state cargo theft scheme that included stealing more than $325,000 worth of frozen snow crab from a Massachusetts warehouse.
Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that Romoy Forbes, 31, a Jamaican national living in Deer Park, New York, has been charged with interstate transportation of stolen goods and conspiracy to commit that offense. U.S. Attorney Leah Foley detailed the allegations in a statement outlining what investigators describe as a coordinated fraud operation targeting trucking and shipping companies across several states.
Forbes was arrested Thursday on Long Island and is expected to make his initial court appearance in the Eastern District of New York. He will be transferred to Boston at a later date to face the charges in federal court.
According to charging documents, Forbes allegedly worked with others to infiltrate the email accounts of legitimate trucking companies. Using those compromised accounts, the group posed as authorized carriers, booked shipments with transportation businesses, and then rerouted the goods for illicit resale instead of delivering them to their intended destinations.
The most striking theft allegedly occurred on July 15, 2025, when Forbes is accused of stealing 33,750 pounds of frozen snow crab worth approximately $325,000 from a warehouse in Worcester, Massachusetts. Prosecutors say another individual hacked the email account of a trucking company, referred to as Carrier 1, and used it to contract with a shipper for delivery to a customer in Jacksonville, Florida.
#BREAKING: #FBI Boston arrested Romoy Forbes, of Deer Park, NY, today in connection with a multi-state organized cargo-theft conspiracy. Forbes is accused of stealing cargo containing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of snow crabs, blueberries, and more than $400,000 of… pic.twitter.com/HBeZv6IVUk
— FBI Boston (@FBIBoston) February 5, 2026
Forbes allegedly arrived at the Worcester warehouse pretending to represent Carrier 1, loaded the seafood onto his truck, and drove off. Instead of heading south, authorities say he transported the crab to a grocery store location in Queens, New York, where he photographed the pallets of packaged seafood.
The alleged scheme extended beyond seafood. On June 25, 2025, Forbes is accused of stealing a shipment of blueberries in Winslow Junction, New Jersey, using the same email-hacking tactic to impersonate another trucking company. Rather than delivering the fruit to a customer in Illinois, Forbes allegedly arranged to sell it illegally to a phone contact saved as “My customer for everything.”
Federal prosecutors say the operation continued into late July. On July 25, Forbes allegedly conspired to steal nearly $434,000 worth of designer cologne from a warehouse in Ronkonkoma, New York. Once again posing as a legitimate carrier, Forbes allegedly loaded the fragrances and later sent a video of the stolen cologne to his contact, who responded with a simple “Ok,” according to court filings.
In total, the alleged thefts include tens of thousands of pounds of food products and high-end consumer goods worth well over $1 million.
If convicted of interstate transportation of stolen goods, Forbes faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $250,000. A conspiracy conviction could add up to five more years behind bars.
Federal officials say the case highlights a growing trend of organized cargo theft exploiting digital vulnerabilities in the shipping industry.
