Two men charged in Atlanta in moving scheme

Two men have been charged in federal court in Atlanta with using a moving company to rob customers of household goods they wanted shipped.

Tasheen Pickett, owner of J & P Moving in Sumter, S.C., was arrested March 11 at his probation officer’s office in Atlanta. Shedrick Giles surrendered two days later to Office of Inspector General agents in Central Islip, N.Y.

Both men were charged with conspiracy, interstate transportation of stolen property and forfeiture in connection with the scheme, the Office of Inspector General said in a statement. Pickett was also charged with possession of stolen property.

Indictments against the pair were unsealed on March 13 in U.S. District Court.

According to the indictments, J & P did not have federal authority to transport goods, but would get jobs through moving brokers, the government said. The firm allegedly would load a customer’s possessions into a truck, then never return them to the rightful owner.

When owners would call the company to inquire about their possessions, they were told they eventually would be delivered, but they were not, authorities said.