Lawrenceville, February 14, 2026 — A Gwinnett County jury has convicted Kong Zhen Ni, 41, of Norcross in a massive electronics fencing scheme, making him the first of ten defendants sentenced in a sweeping RICO case.
On February 6, Judge Tuwanda Rush Williams sentenced Ni to seven years in prison, three years probation, and a $100,000 fine for violating Georgia's RICO Act and theft by receiving stolen property.
The scope of the operation became clear when police executed search warrants at six homes across three counties on May 29, 2025.
At Ni's residence alone, investigators recovered more than 5,000 stolen electronic devices—including iPhones, iPads, and other electronics—with an estimated value exceeding $5 million. They also seized $1.2 million in cash, including $687,000 found in a single location.
Authorities discovered that Ni and his associates had established an elaborate international fencing network, shipping stolen devices to Hong Kong and Dubai. The overseas operation was necessary because the items had been blacklisted by domestic mobile phone carriers, making them difficult to resell in the United States.
Ring doorbell footage of package thieves proved crucial to the investigation. Police surveilled a stash house for months, watching Ni frequently carry boxes in and out. One porch pirate testified that thefts occurred nearly daily for months.
Ni claimed he was simply working at a cell phone business and didn't know the devices were stolen. The jury rejected his defense after a two-week trial.
The RICO indictment charges ten people: eight alleged fences and two thieves. Ni demanded an expedited trial after his August 2025 indictment and became the first defendant convicted. Nine others await prosecution.
The case, prosecuted by the District Attorney's Complex Crimes Unit, represents a major victory against organized property crime affecting Gwinnett County residents.
