Chicago $10.1M freight impersonation case: 60 months for posing as carriers and brokers

Published 2026-11-07 · facts checked 2026-11-07

A suburban Chicago man was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for posing as representatives of real and fake carriers and brokers to get freight released; his group took more than $10.1 million of copper and liquor [1].

What the case shows

Aivaras Zigmantas, 41, pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud in December 2025 and was sentenced to five years (60 months) by U.S. District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo [1].
Between 2020 and 2023 he used multiple aliases to take control of interstate shipments, posing as representatives of real and fake carriers and brokers. After release, the shipments were diverted and stolen [1].
The goods were liquor and commercial-grade copper. The group aimed to steal at least $14.6 million and took more than $10.1 million before the operation was stopped [1].
The case was handled as part of the DOJ Trade Fraud Task Force. An assistant U.S. attorney said he "stole more than $10 million in shipments of copper and liquor" while posing as employees of legitimate and fictitious logistics companies [1].
FreightWaves notes that paperwork, carrier profiles and communications can look normal, which leaves a gap between who a company thinks it verified and who actually controls the shipment [1].

What a broker can do on each load

The article does not list specific checks, so the steps below are general practice, not findings from the case [1].

Call back on a number you already trust: the number on the carrier's registration record or your onboarded contact, not the number in the latest e-mail.
Treat a change as a trigger: a new phone number, a new e-mail domain, or a new pickup contact for an existing carrier deserves a second look before you release the load.
Name the driver and truck before pickup: get the driver name, phone and truck/trailer details in advance and compare them at the dock.
Watch the first hours: a load that is not moving toward its destination, or goes quiet, is easier to question while it is still close to the shipper.
Keep the record: who you spoke to, what number, what time. If a load goes wrong, those notes are what you hand to the carrier, shipper and investigators.

None of these checks will catch every impersonator, and a patient fraudster can pass a single check. The point is to make the person who really controls the load easier to see.

Double brokering

The scheme described in the case relied on people posing as representatives of real and fake carriers and brokers, so the party handing over freight could not tell who actually controlled it [1]. That is the same confusion double brokering creates: the company on the rate confirmation is not the company at the dock. Compare the driver and truck at pickup with what the carrier told you.

FMCSA update

Voluntary authority revocations (Form OCE-46): on October 23, FMCSA published a notice renewing the information collection that lets motor carriers, freight forwarders and property brokers voluntarily revoke all or part of their operating authority. It estimates 5,711 respondents, down from 8,699, and about 1,517 of them (roughly 27%) are still expected to file by mail with notarization. The notice does not mention fraud. Comments are due November 23, 2026 [2]. Authority status can change, so check it again at tender, not only at onboarding.

What PingPoint does and doesn't do here

Does: once a driver shares location through the SMS link or the free PingPoint Driver app, you get geofence arrival and departure statuses computed from that phone's position, so the driver cannot type a fake "arrived", plus e-mail alerts for running late, 20 minutes without a position, and long dwell. A load that never leaves the pickup area or goes silent shows up on the load itself.

Doesn't: verify MC/DOT authority, insurance or identity, or tell you who is really holding the phone. It tracks the phone number you entered, not the trailer or the freight, it does not detect re-brokering by itself, and it does not stop fraud. Pricing is $0.65 per load with a $10 credit at signup and no subscription.

$0.65 per load · $0.02 per position read over the API · live map and tracking link in the cabinet free · no subscription

How PingPoint connects. You sign up with email, Google or GitHub and start with a $10 credit. The driver gets a text message with a link and installs the free PingPoint Driver app (iPhone, Android) — no driver account. The carrier and the dispatcher don't need to set anything up.

Create an account — $10 to start

Sources

#	Fact	Source	Published
[1]	Aivaras Zigmantas, 41, sentenced to five years (60 months) by Judge Elaine E. Bucklo after December 2025 wire fraud plea; used aliases 2020-2023 posing as representatives of real and fake carriers and brokers; liquor and commercial-grade copper; aimed to steal at least $14.6 million and took more than $10.1 million; DOJ Trade Fraud Task Force; paperwork, carrier profiles and communications can look normal	FreightWaves	2026-05-11
[2]	FMCSA renewal of ICR 'Request for Revocation of Authority Granted' (OMB 2126-0018, Form OCE-46): motor carriers, freight forwarders and property brokers may voluntarily revoke authority; 5,711 respondents estimated, down from 8,699; about 1,517 (27%) expected to file by mail; comments due November 23, 2026	Federal Register (FMCSA)	2026-10-23

Every source above was opened and compared with the text on 2026-11-07.

Facts checked 2026-11-07.