An alleged criminal gang from Uzbekistan was arrested and put on trial in New York on Wednesday, the New York Post (NYP) reports. Police and prosecutors accuse Murodullo Khasanov, Nodir Kobilov and Alexey Vorobyov of conspiracy and grand larceny in connection with at least six incidents of missing shipments of food and other goods from local warehouses.
NYP compared the alleged scheme of Uzbek citizens, who law enforcement said “don't speak a word of English,” to the plot of the movie Goodfellas. However, unlike the characters, Khasanov and the other defendants took entire shipments of Parmesan and other elite cheeses, meat and cigarettes from suppliers without firing a single shot. According to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, the scam worked by pre-spoofing documents through cyberattacks.
Because of these actions, well-known chain supermarkets such as Costco could run out of goods, and some small businesses could go bankrupt, noted prosecutor Alvin Bragg. The defendants sold stolen goods on the black market, it follows from the charges.
“The defendants allegedly created and coordinated a ring of thieves by illegally obtaining shipping data, impersonating real shipping companies, and using phishing schemes to steal millions of dollars of consumer goods, from meat and cheese to copper and cigarettes,” New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch added in a press release.
The damage from the alleged thefts was estimated at $4.5-5 million, through which the defendants managed to live in apartments overlooking the ocean in Brighton Beach and Coney Island, purchase luxury cars and visit elite clubs, investigators believe.
🚨BREAKING: Alleged Uzbek Crime Crew Indicted in Massive $4.5 Million Cargo Theft Scheme
Authorities say an alleged organized crime ring led by Murodullo “Murad” Khasanov stole over $4.5 million worth of cargo across the Northeast, including truckloads of cigarettes, luxury… https://t.co/8m8xI2gZkc pic.twitter.com/f3n2jOvUc7
— Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) June 4, 2026
A law enforcement source told NYP that the men were “living the American dream a la Cosa Nostra,” the Italian mafia. According to him, they entered the United States illegally during the leadership of President Joe Biden.
“These guys acted as if they had watched every gangster movie in history and decided to imitate American Hollywood models,” the newspaper’s source added.
Khasanov, Kobilov and Vorobyov pleaded not guilty after being arraigned Wednesday in court in Manhattan. The two were released on their own recognizance, but Khasanov, as the probable leader of the gang, was given a bail of $1.5 million. The accused has not yet paid it and will not be able to be released until the next hearing on June 11.
Khasanov’s lawyer, Michael Mandel, managed to present a line of defense at the first hearing about the client’s being in the “food business,” which caused laughter from other participants in the process, NYP noted. The prosecution emphasized that Khasanov had previously received a “red notice” from Interpol in Uzbekistan – a formal search request, but not yet an arrest warrant.
Law enforcement believes the three defendants in the case worked with a broader network that operated in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia in addition to New York. Five more people were previously arrested on similar charges in the same case, NYP notes. According to a press release from the prosecutor's office, we are talking about Shavkatbek Mamajanov, Rakhmiddin Abdullaev, Nizom Ismailov, Doston Mardoev and Dilshod Nabiev.
