MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's Note: The video above first aired on Aug. 30, 2022.
Before receiving his sentence Thursday, the defendant nicknamed "iPhone Man" by his accomplices apologized for his role in a violent cell phone theft ring that victimized many people in downtown Minneapolis in 2021 and 2022.
"I feel so sorry, and I want to offer the biggest apology to everybody who was hurt and involved in the case," said Zhongshuang "Brandon" Su as he addressed those in a Hennepin County courtroom.
Su, a Chinese national who earned a master's degree at the University of Minnesota, was involved in a legitimate business of buying new and used electronics and then selling them and shipping them overseas, his lawyer told the judge during Monday's sentencing hearing.
But then in the summer of 2021, his lawyer maintains, criminals began responding to Su's ads on Facebook Marketplace and selling him phones that he didn't realize were stolen, often during violent assaults on people in downtown Minneapolis.
"I think it’s because you were willfully ignorant - ignoring red flags," opined Judge Peter Cahill before handing down Su's sentence.
Su was originally charged with racketeering as part of Minnesota's version of the RICO organized crime law. But the Hennepin County Attorney's Office agreed to drop that charge as part of a plea deal to allow Su to plead guilty to multiple counts of receiving stolen property.
Su will have to serve 120 days in the Hennepin County Workhouse, followed by 120 days of community service, but he will avoid prison time as a result of the plea.
"This may seem severe to you but compared to what others are getting, you’re catching quite a break," Judge Cahill said. “You’re a major player in this racket. You're fortunate because a lot of [Su's co-defendants] are going to prison.”
Aaron Johnson, 25, received nearly 8 years in prison when he was sentenced. Alfonze Stuckey, 23, received nearly 5 years in prison. And 18-year-olds Emarion White and Charlie Pryor Jr. received 3 years in prison.
A total of 12 people were originally charged in what prosecutors and police described as a "highly organized cell phone theft ring."
The thieves would often approach the victims in a friendly manner, striking up a conversation and sometimes claiming to be part of a rap group, according to criminal complaints filed in the case. They would ask to add their Instagram to the victim's account, and once the defendants unlocked the phone, they would take off with full access to the victim's financial apps and information. Victims who tried to get their phones back were often violently assaulted.
Stolen phones were then sold to Su, who would re-sell them for further profit to China.
Prosecutors estimate the thefts and robberies from the 12 people resulted in losses that exceeded $300,000.
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