Four Guatemalan nationals are accused of participating in a large-scale scheme to steal and resell high-value products from home improvement stores and other retailers in several states, federal prosecutors said Monday.
Marvin Estuardo Morales De Paz, 33, Abraham Dayger-Enrique, 24, Sebastian Lajuj-Soloman, 30, and Jonathan Josue Amperez-Perez, 31, allegedly worked together to defraud Home Depot stores mainly in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
The suspects stole and, at times, resold items like electrical wire, flooring and power tools, Zachary Cunha, U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island, said.
The four men and other co-conspirators participated in more than 30 documented thefts, Cunha said. So far, he said, 15 Guatemalan nationals have been identified as allegedly being associated with this retail theft organization.
Not all members of the group regularly partook in the theft operations, federal prosecutors said.
Court authorized search warrants were executed Friday in Cranston and Providence, Cunha said. He said $11,000 worth of stolen goods from Home Depot and Khols, $83,000 in cash and a Ford 2019 F-150 vehicle were seized.
Morales De Paz, Dayger-Enrique and Lajuj-Soloman were arrested in Rhode Island Friday, authorities said. They're being held in federal custody until their first appearances before a District Court judge.
Amperez-Perez was apprehended in Pennsylvania and is in federal custody until he's brought back to Rhode Island, Cunha said.
