(Cleveland) - Law enforcers raided an east side home this morning, 7 people were hit with federal charges in a phone store conspiracy.
The suspects are accused of traveling to 9 states to steal cellphones and other electronics from retail stores.
Three of the suspects are said to be members of the Heartless Felons street gang.
FBI Special Agent Vicki Anderson says after their thefts, the suspects would then return to Cleveland to sell the stolen goods at phone stores and gas stations, which would in turn sell the merchandise out of state or even overseas.
Anderson tells Newsradio WTAM 1100 there were 18 thefts, in 9 states, between April and July of 2016, with losses and damages estimated at a half million dollars.
Police are searching for an 8th suspect, 21 year old Melvin Swinney (See photo below) .
Currently in custody are Adolph Boyd III, 24, Tyron Hicks, 30, and Jerome Goins, 21, Padra Graves, 35, Delante Hudson-Frost, 22, Dennis McKenzie, 20, and Darnell Foster, 20.
An FBI affidavit says the thefts occurred in Pennsylvania, Indiana, South Carolina, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Wisconsin, New York and Maryland.
(Photos by Ken Robinson/WTAM & the Cleveland FBI)
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