September 11, 2026
Colleen Claggett/For PhillyVoice
Haneef Palmer, 33, was sentenced to 11 years in prison Thursday for leading a cargo theft operation that stole $1.5 million of goods from tractor trailers in Philadelphia in 2023.
The leader of a cargo theft ring that stole more than $1.5 million of goods from tractor trailers in Philadelphia was sentenced Thursday to 11 years in federal prison.
Haneef "Lew" Palmer, 33, of Philadelphia, also was ordered to pay $1.08 million in restitution. He and his co-conspirators carried out a series of thefts in 2023 between January and July, prosecutors said. Among the items they stole: frozen crab legs, electronics and $230,000 worth of dimes.
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The thefts were carried out when trucks were left unattended or when drivers were asleep. Palmer's group used bolt cutters to access the cargo compartments and steal the goods inside, prosecutors said. The group later sold the goods to people in the area.
In April 2023, he and others robbed a truck carrying commercial refrigerators and attacked the driver, prosecutors said.
Palmer was charged in December 2024 with conspiracy, robbery, theft of government money and related charges. He pleaded guilty in March to the charges.
