Eight personalities behind the theft of 23,000 Apple iPhone units have been charged. The iPhones were inside a cargo trailer at the Miami International Airport when they disappeared in April.
The suspects disguised a tractor-trailer to make it appear like a vehicle owned by a legitimate company. They also used false identification.
The eight men were arrested in the Miami area. They were charged with conspiracy to possess stolen goods. They also face other federal charges.
The theft happened on April 2 at the Lan Cargo area at the airport. The value of the stolen merchandise which was supposed to be delivered to Central and South America was $6.7 million.
The Miami Herald identified the five men arrested this week as Yoan Perez, 33; Todolfo Urra, 36; Misael Cabrera, 37; Rasiel Perez, 45; and Eloy Garcia, 42. They appeared before a federal judge on Tuesday.
Urra was previously involved in another case similar to the iPhone theft. In 2012, he and three other men stole a truck containing cell phones and perfume. The merchandise which belonged to a cargo business in Northwest Miami-Dade, was valued at $2.5 million.
Another suspect - Joaquin Rivas, 54 - was arrested back in April and charged with the crime.
The suspects have insisted that he is innocent of the charges. According to the lawyers of Cabrera and Yoan Perez, their clients had nothing to do with the crime.
If convicted, the suspects face 5 to 10 years imprisonment.
After the theft, the group waited for some time before disposing of the devices. They sold the iPhones slowly stating with a few dozen at a time. On May 25, the suspects sold 100 units for $12,500. The following month, the perpetrators sold 80 iPhones. Another 90 were sold in a week followed 50 phones in the next four days. The men were able to sell 600 units before they were apprehended.
According to reports, the rest of the stolen iPhones were discovered inside a rental storage unit.
