Deputy Recovers $5 Million Worth of Stolen Computer Equipment
March 7, 2024 - Fresno County Sheriff's Office officials report that around 11:00 p.m. on February 28th, a sheriff’s deputy conducted a vehicle stop on a 2013 Nissan van travelling south on Interstate 5, near the Highway 33 turnoff. During the contact with the driver, 49-year-old Manuel Romero Acosta, the deputy developed information of possible criminal activity. A search of the van revealed numerous boxes of new computer components. Since it was unknown at the time if the items were stolen, the van was towed to a storage facility with the contents remaining inside. The deputy issued Acosta, who was unlicensed, a traffic citation.
On March 5th, the deputy carried out a search warrant and confirmed the computer components were stolen from the San Francisco Port Authority. The owner of the items was contacted and stated these memory devices and data storage servers were worth an estimated $5.1 million dollars.
The deputy has since authored an arrest warrant for the driver, Manuel Romero Acosta of Burbank. This remains an ongoing investigation.
Anyone with additional information about this case is asked to please contact the Sheriff’s Office at (559) 600-3111 or Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867, www.valleycrimestoppers.org. You will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Reference case # 24-2445
Source & photos: Fresno County Sheriff's Office
