Charlotte business owners indicted by federal authorities for selling stolen iPhones

Two Charlotte business owners have been indicted for allegedly selling stolen iPhones and other electronic devices to various states and foreign countries, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Thursday.

Hamzeh Jamal Alasfar, 30, and Tayseer Issam Alkhayyat, 34, were accused of selling thousands of fraudulently obtained iPhones and electronics from 2013 to January 2020, according to a news release from the office of Dena King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

The two men owned multiple businesses in Charlotte, including Cellport International Inc. and D Town Wireless, the release said.

The investigation into the activity of Alasfar and Alkhayyat was part of a joint partnership between Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police and the Secret Service “to combat the most significant organized criminal groups operating in Charlotte,” the release said.

Alasfar and Alkhayyat knowingly bought the devices from multiple “boosters” and “vendors,” a federal indictment said. Boosters obtain goods and products through theft or other fraudulent means and sell them for profit. Vendors also collect the products from boosters and sell them in bulk.

Boosters and Vendors in the Charlotte area knew they’d be able to sell the stolen products to Alasfar and Alkhayyat’s businesses — including new in-the-box iPhones, according to the indictment.

Between January 2019 and January 2020, Alasfar and Alkhayyat allegedly sold and shipped more than 20,000 stolen iPhones, the indictment said. During that period, Cellport’s bank account, which was controlled by Alasfar and Alkhayyat, allegedly received more than $15 million in wire transfers, the indictment said.

Many of the sales came from new iPhone buyers and foreign freight-forwarding services, including a company in the United Arab Emirates, the indictment said.

Alasfar and Alkhayyat have been charged with conspiracy to transport stolen and fraudulently obtained goods in interstate commerce, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. They are also facing two counts of interstate and foreign transportation of stolen property. The crime carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a $250,000 fine per count, U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Alasfar and Alkhayyat will be ordered to appear on a summons for their initial appearances, which will be scheduled in federal court in Charlotte, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.