Federal authorities have charged eight men with stealing cases of beer from train cars and other facilities across the Northeast over a nearly two-year period. The men are accused of carrying out numerous beer heists in states such as New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts between July 2022 and March 2024, costing beverage distributors hundreds of thousands of dollars. The men would gather in the Bronx under the cover of darkness before setting out for their target for the night. They would access sealed pallets of beer, usually Corona or Modelo shipped from Mexico, by cutting holes in fences or lock to railroad cars.
Once the stolen beer was brought back to a gathering point in the Bronx, the men would inspect the cases and sell them. Prosecutors stated that the heist teams were paid hundreds of dollars for their night’s work. One of the charged men, Jose Cesari, also known as “Cry,” was accused of being a leader and would recruit ring members through Instagram, promising the ability to make over $100,000 in a month using what he called “the beer train method.” Cesari was found in possession of a firearm and used a police scanner to monitor police activity while carrying out the heists.
The men are facing seven federal criminal counts, including charges under the Hobbs Act, which governs interference with interstate commerce. These charges could result in decades of prison time for the accused. FBI Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy described the heists as reminiscent of the Wild West era but emphasized that the criminals involved in this case were far from romanticized figures. A CSX spokesperson, whose railyard was targeted by the suspects, stated that they take criminal activity seriously and will prosecute unauthorized activity on their property.
The accused men targeted railyards and beverage distribution centers in New Jersey, New York, and beyond. The spokesperson for the rail group CSX emphasized the importance of protecting the safety of their property and customers and reiterated that railyards are privately owned, making unauthorized activity like criminal trespassing subject to prosecution. It is unclear whether the suspects have legal representation at this time, and the representatives of the Southern District of New York have not responded to inquiries regarding the case. The investigation and charges brought against the accused individuals highlight the serious consequences of engaging in organized theft and interference with interstate commerce.
