An Illinois man was sentenced to federal prison for a scheme to steal millions of dollars’ worth of cargo, including booze and commercial-grade copper, by acting as a representative of both legitimate and fraudulent logistics organizations.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced on May 6, 2026, that Aivaras Zigmantas, 41, of Elk Grove Village, Illinois, was sentenced to five years in federal prison.
Zigmantas pleaded guilty to wire fraud in December 2025.
According to officials, Zigmantas utilized numerous aliases between 2020 and 2023, acting as an employee of both legitimate and fictional motor carriers and freight brokers who promised to transfer products across state lines.
Zigmantas misrepresented himself and convinced corporations to release tons of cargo to him, which he subsequently redirected to other sites and stole.
According to authorities, Zigmantas and others “intended to steal at least $14.6 million in goods and successfully stole more than $10.1 million.”
“Over the course of three years, defendant stole more than $10 million in shipments of copper and liquor by fraudulently posing as employees of both legitimate and fictitious logistics companies,” Kate McClelland, Assistant U.S. Attorney, said. “He had the ability to make different choices, but refused to do so, resulting in increasingly serious criminal conduct and substantial losses to his victims.”
This case was examined by the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force.
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