A man holding a valid New Jersey commercial driver's licence has been charged by federal indictment in Connecticut over an alleged scheme that stole trucking cargo by taking over real motor-carrier companies and posing as their owners, U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan for the District of Connecticut and P.J. O'Brien, the FBI's Special Agent in Charge in New Haven, announced. Nursulton Izzatulloevich Khaydarov, 33, a citizen of Uzbekistan and a lawful permanent resident of the United States, is charged for his alleged involvement in the theft of numerous trucking cargo shipments.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut (DOJ)
According to the indictment and statements made in court, the Homeland Security Task Force has been investigating numerous trucking cargo thefts from locations in California and elsewhere since approximately September 2025. Investigators allege that Khaydarov and others purchased or otherwise assumed control of multiple motor carrier companies — including their U.S. Department of Transportation numbers, motor carrier identification numbers, business email accounts and the identities of their owners.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut (DOJ)
Loads picked up, never delivered — and ransom demands, prosecutors allege
Posing as the previous business owner, the group allegedly exploited the reputation and trust of the established companies to win contracts for interstate shipments from freight brokers. A driver would pick the shipment up from the distribution location — but the load never reached its destination and was later reported stolen. At times, prosecutors allege, co-conspirators made ransom demands for the return of the stolen loads.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut (DOJ)
The indictment also alleges that Khaydarov possessed fraudulent driver's licences in five other names — "Sayid Makhmudarov," "Rustam Mavlonov," "Dmitri Aganin," "Roman Smirov" and "Kairat Nurtas" — each carrying a photograph of Khaydarov with altered facial features. An indictment is an allegation, not proof: Khaydarov is presumed innocent unless and until the government proves its case in court.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut (DOJ)
The alleged method is carrier identity theft: a real company's DOT number, MC number, email accounts and owner identity are taken over, so the thief looks legitimate to a broker. Industry trackers say identity-driven theft is rising even as overall incident counts fall — Verisk CargoNet estimated cargo-theft losses of $304.6 million across the U.S. and Canada in the second quarter of 2026, more than double the $135.7 million estimated a year earlier (an industry estimate for cargo theft overall, not a figure from this case). Verify who you are really contracting with before handing over a load.
The case was announced in Connecticut, where the indictment was filed, while the thefts under investigation occurred in California and elsewhere, the Justice Department said. No load-by-load loss figure for this specific case was given in the announcement.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut (DOJ)
What is solid
- Indictment announced jointly by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut and the FBI's New Haven division
- Defendant identified as Nursulton Izzatulloevich Khaydarov, 33, an Uzbekistan citizen and U.S. lawful permanent resident holding a valid New Jersey CDL
- Homeland Security Task Force investigation into trucking cargo thefts in California and elsewhere dating to about September 2025
What is only claimed
- The carrier-takeover scheme, the undelivered loads and the ransom demands — indictment allegations, not proven in court
- The five allegedly fraudulent licences in other names — alleged in the indictment