A Minneapolis man who played a central role in a smartphone theft ring in the city was sentenced Thursday for his part in the scheme, which prosecutors say drained over $275,000 from victims' financial apps.
'iPhone man' sentenced to workhouse for smartphone theft ring in Minneapolis
Prosecutors say the ring drained more than $275,000 from victims' financial apps.
November 10, 2023 at 2:31AM
Zhongshuang Su, 33, aka Brandon Su, pleaded guilty in September to leading the scheme and was convicted on four amended felony counts of stolen property. Su received 365 days in Hennepin County's workhouse with 120 to be served in custody. After release, Su is required to serve 120 days in the Sentence to Serve program. He was fined $12,000 and will have to pay additional restitution.
For roughly a year, a team of thieves would rob people of cellphones in downtown Minneapolis and Dinkytown, and steal money via their apps. In some instances, others took phones by "trickery and violence," leaving people with serious injuries, before selling them to Su, who was nicknamed the "iPhone man" by accomplices, court records said.
Su sold the stolen phones to foreign buyers. Prosecutors believe Su shipped more than 1,100 phones valued at more than $800,000 to Hong Kong.
Su's attorney did not return a phone call seeking comment Thursday.
Eleven other men have been charged.
David Lee Mullins Jr. did not appear for a sentencing Thursday and now has a warrant. He was charged with racketeering.
Kevron Detrell Williams Gray was sentenced in 2022 to over nine years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree aggravated robbery.
Aaron T. Johnson was sentenced in March to nearly eight years after pleading guilty to felony racketeering for stealing and reselling phones and finding people on social media willing to launder stolen money.
