Raphi Joseph of St. Thomas was arrested on a complaint charging him with transportation of stolen goods, in a plot that involved hacking into stranger’s cell phone accounts, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert reported Wednesday.
According to court documents unsealed Wednesday, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service had previously been alerted that an unknown person had logged into a victim’s cell-phone account without the victim’s permission. The perpetrator then ordered an iPhone to be mailed to the territory. Joseph is alleged to have inquired about the package at the post office in St. Thomas, and further investigation identified more than 20 additional fraudulently obtained cell phones being sent to Joseph in the U.S. Virgin Islands in various packages.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Brooks.
