Three men charged in armed hijacking of truck carrying $1.2 million in Apple gear

Federal prosecutors have indicted three men in connection with the armed hijacking of a delivery truck containing approximately $1.2 million in Apple hardware. The incident, which occurred in early 2026, involved the theft of hundreds of high-value devices destined for a retail location in New York.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the suspects are Alan Christhofer Cedeno-Ferrer, Michael Mejia-Nunez, and Ennait Alexis Sirett-Padilla. The three individuals were arrested on May 7, 2026, following an investigation into the January heist.

Details of the Armed Hijacking

The hijacking took place at approximately 8:00 a.m. On January 3, 2026, outside the Apple Store at the Americana Manhasset mall in New York. Two delivery workers were preparing to unload merchandise when they were approached by three masked men armed with handguns, who had arrived in a black Honda Accord.

Court records indicate that the suspects forced one worker into the back of the delivery truck and secured his hands with zip ties. The second worker was ordered at gunpoint to drive the vehicle to a secluded parking area located behind an office building on Northern Boulevard in Manhasset, New York.

Once the truck reached the secluded location, the driver was also forced into the back of the vehicle and had his hands zip-tied alongside the first victim.

Logistics and Hardware Transfer

The suspects utilized a rented Home Depot box truck to facilitate the theft. Prosecutors state that Alan Christhofer Cedeno-Ferrer rented the vehicle using a fake Pennsylvania driver’s license.

Surveillance footage captured the Home Depot truck backing up to the delivery vehicle so that the cargo sections were aligned. The suspects then transferred the Apple merchandise from the delivery truck into the rented box truck before closing the cargo doors on the two victims and fleeing the scene.

The stolen inventory included a significant volume of Apple ecosystem hardware, specifically:

• MacBooks
• iPhones
• iPads
• Apple Watches
• Various accessories

Recovery and Legal Action

The crime was reported after one of the victims managed to free himself from the zip ties and contact 911. Following the theft, the suspects transported the stolen gear to a self-storage facility located in Paterson, New Jersey.

The subsequent federal indictment and the arrests on May 7, 2026, conclude the initial phase of the law enforcement response to the theft of the $1.2 million in hardware.