3 men arrested for beef theft in Northeast Philadelphia, AG says – NBC10 Philadelphia

Call it “hand-caught red meat,” because Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry’s office said three men were arrested after police allegedly caught them stealing more than 1,100 pounds of beef from a tractor-trailer in Northeast Philadelphia on Tuesday.

The arrests, Henry's office said, are part of “Operation Beef Baron,” an investigation that recently arrested four other men on charges of stealing meat, alcohol and seafood from trucks along the NJ Turnpike.

According to Henry's office, Douglas Mathis, 36, Jamir Scott, 25, and Tariq Duncan, 31, all of Philadelphia, were charged with corrupt organizations, theft and related offenses following their arrest on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

The three men were arrested Tuesday morning as they allegedly attempted to steal 1,600 pounds of beef from a locked tractor-trailer parked in the 7300 block of Edmund Street in the Holmesburg neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia.

“This was a persistent investigative effort with law enforcement working together to prevent high-value thefts from parked semi-trucks,” Henry said in a statement about the arrests. “I commend the timely work of our Organized Crime Unit in pursuing this gang and essentially catching them red-handed.”

According to police, the men were wearing dark clothing and masks at the time of their arrest. The men were also observed “breaking the lock on a semi-trailer and moving 25 boxes of beef – valued at $7,000 – from the semi-trailer into their pickup truck,” police said.

At the arraignment on Tuesday, Henry's office said bail was set at $200,000 for each of the men.