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In a news release on Monday, Sept. 16, New Jersey State Police announced the arrests of 23-year-old Shaun Coleman, 37-year-old Salahudin Reddy, 31-year-old Hanif Tucker, and 26-year-old Rashan Clark-Reddy. They were charged after a two-month investigation into nine burglaries at New Jersey Turnpike service areas that troopers called "Operation Beef Bandit".
Investigators said an organized criminal crew broke into parked and often occupied tractor-trailers to steal pricy items like meat, seafood, and alcohol. The group has also been linked to similar thefts in neighboring states, stealing millions of dollars in merchandise.
The most recent incident was at the Molly Pitcher Service Area in Cranbury at around 1:25 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 13. Troopers spotted four suspects in two vehicles taking boxes of meat from a parked tractor-trailer.
Tucker was immediately arrested and Coleman was captured after trying to run from troopers. Reddy and Clark-Reddy tried to get away in a stolen vehicle and intentionally crashed into an unmarked police car.
Two marked state police cars were also damaged during a chase before Reddy and Clark-Reddy were ultimately taken into custody. Three troopers suffered minor injuries, one of whom was treated and released from a nearby hospital.
Clark-Reddy was charged with eluding, receiving stolen property, possession of a stolen vehicle, criminal mischief, possession of burglary tools, burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, conspiracy to commit cargo theft, and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.
Reddy was charged with receiving stolen property, possession of a stolen vehicle, conspiracy to commit cargo theft, possession of burglary tools, burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, resisting by flight, and criminal mischief.
Coleman and Tucker were charged with receiving stolen property, possession of burglary tools, criminal mischief, and conspiracy to commit cargo theft. Tucker was additionally charged with burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary.
The four men were held in the Middlesex County Jail to await detention hearings.
Anyone with information about cargo thefts should call New Jersey State Police Troop "D" at 732-522-4295, ext. 3226.
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