Final two defendants in Minneapolis phone theft ring sentenced

Krystal Frasier KSTP

(KSTP/file)

After more than two years of legal work, the last of the one dozen defendants charged and convicted of crimes associated with a cell phone theft ring that operated out of downtown Minneapolis has been sentenced.

Court records show 23-year-old Sharlotte Green, and 43-year-old Charlie Pryor Sr., were both in court earlier this week.

Green was handed a 120-day sentence in the Hennepin County Workhouse with four days of credit for one charge of racketeering on Wednesday, according to documents. She must also serve three years of probation in Hennepin County and pay more than $200 in fines and related fees.

Meanwhile, Pryor was sentenced for one count of identity theft. A 17-month prison sentence was stayed for three years, and he must instead serve 120 days on at-home electronic monitoring and was given 17 days of credit. In addition, documents show Pryor must also serve three years of probation and pay more than $100 in fines and fees.

As reported by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS in Sept. 2022, more than 40 people fell victim to the ring, which operated for about a year – from June 2021 through May 2022. In addition to stealing phones, a complaint filed says the 12 defendants also moved money from the victims’ phones to people associated with the theft ring. The document went on to state the stolen phones were sold locally and outside of the United States.

Authorities say the suspects often targeted people who were leaving bars in the area at the time of bar close, with some taking phones by force. However, authorities say the defendants would make sure the victim unlocked a phone before taking it so money could be moved from the accounts using services such as Venmo, Zelle and Coinbase.

The phones were then funneled to defendant Zhongshuang Su, who was nicknamed “the iPhone Man” and would sell the phones. Authorities state more than four dozen phones were sent to Hong Kong and more than two dozen other phones were sent to Su’s employer.

Prosecutors said the scheme totaled $159,797 in stolen money, $32,086 in attempted theft and more than $85,000 in cryptocurrency. The value of the stolen devices is estimated at $25,267.

A list of Green and Pryor’s co-defendants can be found below, as well as their sentences:

18-year-old Charlie Pryor Jr. of St. Paul: sentenced to 41 months in St. Cloud prison with 276 days of credit
25-year-old Aaron Johnson of St. Paul: sentenced to serve 94 months (nearly eight years) in the St. Cloud prison. In addition, he received 173 days of credit for time previously served
23-year-old Alfonze Stuckey of St. Paul: was sentenced to just shy of five years in prison
23-year-old Sherrod Lamar of St. Paul: given three years in prison with 319 days of credit for time already served.
19-year-old Antonio Green of St. Paul: sentenced to one year of work release and three years of probation
18-year-old Emarion White of St. Paul: was sentenced to three years in St. Cloud prison, with credit for 91 days served. He must also pay $128 in fees. He previously had a trial scheduled to begin in March
26-year-old Heiron Birts of Minneapolis: sentenced to serve 57 months at the St. Cloud prison for the charge, which was stayed for three years. Instead, he will serve 178 days at the Hennepin County Workhouse, followed by three years of supervised probation
26-year-old David Mullins Jr. of Minneapolis: sentenced to three years in prison with 63 days of credit.
32-year-old Zhongshuang Su, or Brandon Su, of Minneapolis: a year and one day prison sentence was stayed for three years and then given one year at the Hennepin County Workhouse, 120 days of community service, three years of probation and pay more than $3,000 in fees.
22-year-old Lawrence Miles of Bloomington: sentenced to 17 months at the St. Cloud prison with 103 days of credit.