{
  "id": 15464440,
  "title": "California trucking owner pleads guilty in $2.1M identity theft scheme",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/california-trucking-owner-pleads-guilty-in-2-1m-identity-theft-scheme",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-18T17:37:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "FreightWaves",
    "slug": "freightwaves",
    "url": "https://www.freightwaves.com/news/california-trucking-owner-pleads-guilty-in-2-1m-identity-theft-scheme"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hasan Korkmaz, a 45-year-old trucking business owner from Las Vegas, pleaded guilty on October 15 to a $2.1 million fraud scheme involving nearly 100 stolen identities. San Diego Logistics Group Inc., a company he operated in Santee, California, processed fraudulent credit card transactions through multiple businesses. Federal prosecutors detailed how Korkmaz used stolen personal information to open fraudulent credit card accounts, causing losses exceeding $2,103,000 across two banks. He admitted to all 18 charges involving bank fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft. The scheme operated during 2022 and 2023, with proceeds traced to financial accounts he controlled in Turkey. Korkmaz had been overseas for about 18 months before returning to the United States, where he was arrested in June 2025. The credit card scheme worked by Korkmaz establishing accounts under stolen identities, exhausting available credit without intending to repay, and submitting checks from nonexistent or insufficient accounts to temporarily restore credit limits. San Diego Logistics Group was among the businesses processing the fraudulent charges, with individual transactions reaching $18,500. Federal records identify the company, its operating history, and its registered cargo categories, but these do not independently establish completed freight deliveries. Its current registration profile lists both common and broker authority as inactive, and insurance records show previous cancellations with no active primary liability coverage. Sentencing for Korkmaz is scheduled for January 8, 2027.",
  "summary": "Nearly 100 people had their personal information compromised. Federal investigators traced the proceeds through international bank transfers before authorities arrested the operator following 18 months in Turkey. The post California trucking owner pleads guilty in $2.1M identity theft scheme appeared first on FreightWaves .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}