Bangor, Maine — A 49-year-old man has been locked up for his role in a multi-store theft ring that funneled stolen merchandise across state lines. Anthony G. Berry was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to three months in federal prison and ordered to pay over $9,000 in restitution and a $9,000 fine. Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. handed down the sentence after Berry pled guilty on May 3, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce.
The scheme ran from March to October 2014, during which Berry and a network of co-conspirators systematically stole high-demand items from retail giants including Walmart and Hannaford across Maine. The stolen goods weren’t just hoarded — they were moved fast, laundered through online marketplaces and shipped directly to buyers outside the state, turning petty theft into a coordinated criminal enterprise.
Court records show Berry didn’t work alone. He and at least one accomplice handled the logistics: receiving stolen inventory, listing it online, and shipping it out under the radar. The operation blurred the line between shoplifting and organized fraud, exploiting e-commerce platforms to profit from stolen property while law enforcement scrambled to connect the dots.
The bust came after a joint investigation by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine State Police, the Bangor Police Department, and the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators tracked digital footprints, shipping records, and inventory discrepancies to expose the network that Berry helped orchestrate.
Berry will serve three years under federal supervision following his prison term, during which he’ll be barred from engaging in any online sales activity without approval. The steep financial penalties — totaling $18,000 when restitution and fines are combined — reflect the seriousness with which federal prosecutors treated the crime.
U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank emphasized that stealing isn’t just a local nuisance — when it crosses state lines, it becomes a federal offense. “This wasn’t just shoplifting,” Frank said in a statement. “It was a planned, ongoing conspiracy to profit from stolen goods on a regional scale.” Berry’s conviction sends a message: even low-profile theft, when organized, draws the full weight of federal justice.
RELATED: Meth & Heroin Ring Lands Liberty, Excelsior Springs Men in Prison
RELATED: Akron Doctor Gets 10 Years for Deadly Pill Mill
Related Federal Cases
- Colbert’s Counterfeit Cash Caper: $70,000 Stolen in Bank Fraud Scheme · Maine
- Houston Couple Sentenced for RICO Employment Scheme · Texas
- McKinney Men Pleaded Guilty in Foreclosure Rescue & Drug Scheme · Texas
- Falmouth Doctor Joel A. Sabean Convicted in $3M Tax, Drug Scheme · Maine
- Whiting Man Cops to Social Security Fraud Scheme · Maine
Key Facts
- State: Maine
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News