Four people have been arrested in a major Suffolk County retail robbery ring.
According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the suspect stole items from a major retailer and took them to a pawn shop to sell. They allegedly stored their products in warehouses and elsewhere before selling them online.
The district attorney’s office said Carlos Uroa, Henry Delgado, Sandra Cruz and Sandra Palomino have all been arraigned. According to authorities, retail theft generates more than $1 million in profits annually.
“The repeated practice of reselling merchandise on various platforms generated significant criminal proceeds,” said Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney.
Booster, he says, will bring the stolen goods to the pawn shop, Uroa, while Palomino manages the workers in the store. The items are then cataloged and sold on the secondary market, with the help of Cruz and Delgado.
Tierney said there was a spike in internet activity in 2019 related to the secondary sale of the product that triggered the investigation.
Items stolen ranged from tools, cooking mixers and watches.
If convicted, all defendants face prison sentences ranging from one year and four months to eight years and four months.
Two of the defendants are currently in custody on bailable charges, and two of them have been released pending their next trial date.