A man has been given more than four years in prison after he pled guilty to Attempted Participation in Organized Retail Theft. Jose Martinez-Aguilar (dob 5/11/72) was arrested after detectives with the Regional Crime Suppression Unit (RCSU) and the Repeat Offender Program (ROP) learned that Roberto’s at 4455 S. Virginia was operating a fencing operation for stolen items. Detectives learned that the shop’s owner, Martinez-Aguilar, was running the operation. Through their own investigation, local loss prevention officers learned that thieves would steal from stores up and down the Virginia Street corridor and sell the stolen items to Martinez-Aguilar and his employees.
Home Depot, JC Penney, and TJX Companies all donated merchandise and other surveillance resources to an operation led by RCSU. Using a confidential informant and an undercover officer, police began selling the donated merchandise at the taco shop under the pretense that it was actually stolen merchandise, on six different occasions. All of the items sold had indicators that they were stolen, including theft-detection devices still attached. The undercover officer established such a relationship with the defendant that defendant would give him “shopping lists” of items he wanted.
After getting a search warrant for the business and defendant’s house, police found thousands of dollars of apparent stolen retail merchandise. Loss prevention personnel from 17 different retailers identified their store merchandise. Police also found a cutting tool next to theft-prevention devices, where the defendant would cut off and remove these devices.
During sentencing, Chief Deputy District Attorney Matt Lee focused on the impact this crime has on the community. By providing a marketplace for stolen goods, Martinez-Aguilar’s crime and others like it create a negative ripple effect that endangers the safety and economic well-being of both retailers and consumers. Unfortunately, costs associated with retail theft in the form of product loss and asset protection are ultimately passed to the end consumer.
“Organized retail theft is not a victimless crime. It raises prices for consumers, harms legitimate businesses, and fuels other criminal activity,” said District Attorney Chris Hicks. “This sentence makes clear that those who profit from stolen goods will be held accountable, and my office will continue working with our partners to shut these operations down and protect our community.”
The Honorable Kathleen Drakulich presided and imposed the sentence.
