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The leader of a "cell phone theft ring" in downtown Minneapolis has pleaded guilty.

Aaron Tracey Johnson, 26, pleaded guilty to racketeering in Hennepin County Court Thursday. He is facing almost eight years in prison.

According to the office of Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, Johnson admitted to taking part in the theft ring and implicated other top members in his plea. In total, 12 people have been charged in connection to the scheme.

Between June 2021 and May 2022, the 12 members allegedly stole cell phones from victims, who were often intoxicated people in downtown Minneapolis at bar close, according to criminal complaints.

The members would then transfer funds from the victims’ phones to accounts associated with the scheme, often using applications like Venmo, Zelle, and Coinbase.

In some cases, members would approach victims in a "friendly manner" and ask for their phone so that they could add the victim on social media. The members would make sure the victim had unlocked their phone before taking it.

The phones would then be funneled to one member, who would then sell them both locally and internationally. Almost 50 phone shipments were sent to Hong Kong as part of the scheme, while another 30 were sent to a Minneapolis hotpot restaurant.

The scheme resulted in almost $160,000 in actual cash being stolen, along with more than $85,000 in cryptocurrency.

The value of the stolen phones is estimated to be $25,267.

Johnson’s sentencing is set for Tuesday. His plea agreement calls for him to be sentenced to 94 months in prison.

"People have to feel and be safe in our county," Moriarty said in a statement.

“This sophisticated operation targeted unsuspecting victims enjoying a night out and contributed to instilling a culture of fear that threatens the vibrancy of our community."

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/leader-in-downtown-minneapolis-cell-phone-theft-ring-pleads-guilty

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