WORCESTER, MA – Elijah Aiken, 36, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, is facing serious time after admitting today in federal court to a brazen interstate scheme involving the theft and transport of stolen electronics. Aiken and his crew systematically targeted Target stores, leaving a trail of destruction and hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses across multiple states.
Aiken pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce and two counts of interstate transportation of stolen goods. Judge Timothy S. Hillman has set sentencing for August 26, 2019. The feds are expected to come down hard, given the scope and audacity of the operation.
From December 2014 to February 2015, Aiken and his co-conspirators weren’t messing around. They hit Target stores in the dead of night, using portable blow torches to rip through metal loading-dock doors. It wasn’t about quick grabs; they were after high-value targets – cellular phones and computer tablets – racking up a haul worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Stores in Easton and Westborough, Massachusetts, weren’t spared, nor were those in Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
The operation wasn’t contained to just breaking and entering. Aiken wasn’t just stealing, he was moving the merchandise. He transported the stolen electronics across state lines, funneling them to buyers in New York City. This isn’t a petty theft case; it’s a calculated, multi-state criminal enterprise.
The charges carry significant penalties. The interstate transportation of stolen goods charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, plus up to three years of supervised release and a hefty $250,000 fine. Restitution will also be ordered, forcing Aiken to pay back the losses he inflicted on Target. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum of five years in the slammer, along with similar terms of supervised release and fines.
U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and FBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta announced the guilty plea, a result of a thorough investigation by the Worcester Branch Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg A. Friedholm is handling the prosecution, and sources say they’re building a solid case to ensure Aiken – and any uncharged accomplices – face the full weight of the law. This isn’t just about stolen gadgets; it’s about disrupting organized criminal activity.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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