‘Operation Beef Bandit’ nabs 3 men with nearly 2 tons of meat in Pennsylvania

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (WTAJ) — Three men were arrested as part of “Operation Beef Bandit” for allegedly stealing nearly two tons of beef valued at $7,000 in Philadelphia, Attorney General Michelle Henry announced.

The three, Douglas Mathis, Jamir Scott, and Tariq Duncan, were allegedly caught stealing 1,600 pounds of beef from a parked tractor-trailer on the 7300 block of Edmund Street Tuesday morning, Sept. 24, Henry said in a release.

She added that all three were witnessed wearing dark clothes and masks when they broke into a locked tractor-trailer and carried 25 cases of beef — valued at $7,000 — from the trailer to their van.

“This was tenacious investigative work that involved collaboration between law enforcement agencies to stop high-value thefts from parked tractor-trailers,” Henry said. “I commend the timely work of our Organized Crime Section who tracked this crew and, essentially, caught them in the act.”

The three men were charged with corrupt organizations, theft and related offenses. Bail for each was set at $200,000.

“Operation Beef Bandit” was led by New Jersey State Police. Office of the Attorney General agents and the Philadelphia Police Department worked with New Jersey officials to track down the men.

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