Theft of 2000 pieces of Apple gear leads to 4 years in prison

A man in South Carolina has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for a scheme to steal a large amount of new iPad models, the Apple Watch, and other expensive electronics from Walmart.

The scheme happened in 2017 where he worked at a Walmart distribution center in Pennsylvania. Jimenez-Hiciano hid certain electronics in delivery trucks, mailed them through FedEx to his addresses, and shared the proceeds of the sales with others.

In June 2022, Rusmaldy Jimenez-Hiciano pleaded guilty to four counts of mail fraud. Court documents reviewed by AppleInsider specifically list 1000 iPads, 942 Apple Watches, and other assorted high-end electronics.

United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl sentenced Jimenez-Hiciano to three years and ten months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay full restitution of $536,000 and forfeiture of $461,000.

"Jimenez-Hiciano stole hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of goods from his former employer," said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. "Instead of doing the right thing and performing his job honestly, he took advantage of his position and his employer. Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect innocent individuals and businesses from being victimized by financial fraud."

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Mary E. Crawley was the prosecutor.