Louisville is at the center of a wide-ranging cargo theft case involving tractor-trailers and high-end electronics.
NEW ALBANY, Ind. — Three Louisville men have been sentenced for their roles in a sweeping, multi-million-dollar cargo theft scheme that spanned Indiana and several other states.
Juan D. Perez-Gonzalez, 51, of Florida, was found guilty by a federal judge on charges of conspiracy, possession of goods stolen from interstate commerce, and interstate transportation of stolen property. The convictions stem from a year-long operation that involved stealing millions of dollars’ worth of high-end electronics and other merchandise.
Five co-conspirators have pleaded not guilty in connection with the scheme.
Sentences for Louisville defendants:
• Carlos Enrique Freire-Pifferrer, 46, Louisville, Ky., was sentenced Aug. 22, 2025, to seven years and 11 months for conspiracy and two counts of interstate transportation of stolen property. He was also ordered to pay $1,765,193 in restitution.
• Jose Antonio Gomez-Pifferrer, 33, Louisville, Ky., was sentenced Oct. 24, 2025, to three years and one month for conspiracy and two counts of interstate transportation of stolen property, with restitution set at $1,765,193.
• Dalwy De Armas-Rodriguez, 38, Louisville, Ky., was sentenced Aug. 28, 2025, to time served for conspiracy, with no restitution required.
• Other co-defendants include Juan D. Perez-Gonzalez, 51, of Florida; Richard Alameda, 47, of Florida; and Luis Velazquez, 58, of Jacksonville, Florida.
According to court records and trial evidence, Perez-Gonzalez and his co-conspirators targeted tractor-trailers carrying electronics and other merchandise, including products from Meta, Microsoft, Bath & Body Works, and Victoria’s Secret.
The group traveled across Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio to surveil distribution facilities and steal trailers from rest stops and refueling locations before transporting the stolen cargo to Miami, Florida, for resale.
Investigators said the group used multiple methods to evade law enforcement, including painting over logos, altering identification numbers, and switching license plates on the stolen trailers.
Across 14 thefts, the group stole more than $2 million worth of Oculus VR headsets, $4.94 million in Microsoft products, and about $1 million in Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret merchandise.
This marks the third federal conviction for Perez-Gonzalez. In 2009, he stole two semi-trailers containing $500,000 in goods from a distribution facility in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
He was later sentenced to 23 months in Western Kentucky. In 2014, while on supervised release from the 2009 offense, Perez-Gonzalez again carried out cargo theft using similar methods and received a 105-month sentence in Southern Indiana.
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