Three men charged in $1.2M Apple product hijacking on Long Island

Three undocumented men face federal charges for the armed hijacking of a delivery truck carrying $1.2 million in Apple products at a Long Island mall on January 3, according to Transport Topics. Alan Christopher Cedeno-Ferrer, 27; Michael Mejia-Nunez, 29; and Ennait Alexis Sirett-Padilla, 24, were indicted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on charges of Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy, and interstate transportation of stolen property. Two truckers were waiting outside the Americana Manhasset shopping mall around 8 a.m. when three masked men with handguns arrived in separate vehicles. The perpetrators forced one driver into the trailer, zip-tying his hands, then forced the second driver at gunpoint to move the truck a half-mile to an isolated parking lot. Both drivers were bound and left in the trailer as temperatures dropped to the 20s. The truck, loaded with MacBook computers, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and accessories, was followed to a self-storage facility in Paterson, New Jersey. Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said the men were pursued until apprehension. Prosecutors declared the defendants a significant flight risk due to the severity of charges carrying potential 30-year prison sentences and their status as Dominican Republic nationals who entered the country illegally. One driver managed to break free from the restraints before rescue.