Stealing in bulk draws big sentence

A group of men who for years stole things like beer, ribs and chicken by the ton are out of business.

A federal judge on Monday sentenced a Kansas City man for his role in stealing trucks, trailers and cargo that included the meat and Budweiser.

Kenneth Ray Borders, 43, was sentenced to 21 years and 19 months and ordered to pay about $1.3 million in restitution to 27 victims.

According to a press release from federal prosecutors:

Borders was among those convicted in February for a conspiracy involving the thefts from Missouri, Kansas, Florida, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska from 1998 to December 2013.

Evidence at trial focused on thefts of five Freightliner trucks and 17 trailers between 2005 and 2011. Their cargo included the beer, 39,000 pounds of beef, and loads of frozen chicken, including one huge shipment of chicken wings.

Also stolen were 21,018 pounds of Little Sizzler sausages and Nike shoes valued at $217.353.

“Hundreds of thousands of dollars of stolen cargo was sold cheaply to anyone who would buy it,” the release states, and some goods were sold to a tow truck driver or a convenience store operator to resell.

Two co-defendants are awaiting sentencing in the case.

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