Federal prosecutors in Plano have quietly been racking up dozens of guilty pleas in a massive cell phone theft ring.
Court records show that another two suspects who were captured in "Operation Cash Out" have pleaded guilty to federal charges in a crime ring that involved more than 110 people and more than $100 million of stolen electronic equipment.
This week's pleas bring a total of 77 cases that have admissions of guilt.
Prosecutors say the multi-layered criminal organization had been operating for months before they were found out and finally broken.
In all cases, armed robbers stormed into at least 23 different stores across the Metroplex grabbing nearly 70,000 pieces of electronic equipment including mobile phones, iPads, smart watches, laptops, and almost anything high-tech. The items were then exported overseas for resale.
Most of the suspects who were arrested were operating on the low end of the crime ring. A list of the suspects indicted can be found here.
Investigations revealed that these individuals were connected to a cell phone business in Dallas known as Global One Wireless. The owners of Global One Wireless – Plano brothers Abdul Basit Bhangda, 30, and Arsalan Bhangda, a/k/a Adam, 36 – allegedly acted through a parent corporation, RJ Telecom, to sell stolen products abroad by shipping the merchandise to foreign import companies located in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Texas.
The man and woman who pleaded guilty this week each got 3 to 5 years probation for their role in the robberies.
Prosecutors say there are still around 30 cases that are awaiting trial.
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