Hoover Brothers Plead Guilty to Selling Stolen Goods Online

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Two Hoover brothers have pleaded guilty to running an online fencing scheme that resulted in the sale of over $1 million worth of stolen goods, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.

Appearing before U.S. District Judge Madeline Haikala, Abdurrahman Amar, 32, and Yahya Amar, 33, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in the interstate transportation of stolen goods.

According to the defendants' plea agreements, from January 2022 through December 2023, Abdurrahman Amar organized and led a network of "boosters"-professional thieves. The boosters regularly offered the Amars various new and unopened goods for purchase, especially personal electronic devices and tools. The Amars knew that the boosters obtained these goods by stealing them from various retailers, including Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, and Lowe's.

After purchasing the goods from the boosters at a steep discount from their retail value, the Amars listed the goods for re-sale on various online platforms-primarily eBay and Facebook-at prices that included a markup from the boosters' prices but that were still well below the stolen goods' retail value.

Over the course of the conspiracy, the Amars completed approximately 7,283 separate sales of stolen goods on eBay, resulting in total revenue of approximately $1,014,191.44. After selling the stolen goods online, the Amars shipped the stolen goods to customers located throughout the United States and internationally.

The maximum penalty for conspiracy to engage in interstate transportation of stolen goods is five years in prison.

The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Janich is prosecuting the case.