Seven people have been indicted for their alleged involvement in a jewelry theft ring that targeted stores and kiosks in malls across the country, exceeding $1.28 million in losses.
A federal grand jury in New Haven returned the indictment on July 16, which was partially unsealed on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Four of the individuals have been identified and arrested, officials said. Those four include 44-year-old Edixon Rincon Puentes, formerly of Los Angeles, who was arrested on July 17 in Queens, New York; Harold Ramirez Cagua, also known as “Gordo,” 40, of Miami, Florida, and Yesenia Melendez Rincon, 40, of Kissimmee, Florida, who were arrested on July 18; and 40-year-old Jorge Giovanni Escobar Gonzalez of Kissimmee, Florida, who was previously detained in Florida on pre-existing state charges but now is in federal custody.
According to officials, Rincon Puentes and Ramirez Cagua are currently detained, and Melendez Rincon was released to home confinement with location monitoring.
“The three remaining defendants are currently being sought by law enforcement and their identities remain under seal,” officials said.
Officials allege that, from May 2023 through April 2024, Ramirez Cagua, Rincon Puentes, Melendez Rincon, Escobar Gonzalez and others burglarized jewelry stores and kiosks in malls nationwide, then transported the stolen property or the proceeds across state lines.
The co-conspirators are accused of burglarizing jewelry establishments at the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford on Oct. 5, 2023; in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, on Oct. 27, 2023; in Henrico, Virginia on Nov. 4, 2023; and in Horseheads, New York, on April 18, 2024, according to officials.
“The total losses from these burglaries exceed $1.28 million,” officials said. “Members of the conspiracy cased additional jewelry stores and kiosks in Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois and Delaware.”
Ramirez Cagua, Rincon Puentes, Melendez Rincon, and Escobar Gonzalez are each charged with one count of conspiracy, an offense that carries a maximum term of five years in federal prison, and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, which carries a maximum of 10 years.
The investigation is ongoing, according to officials, and is being conducted by the FBI New Haven’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force with the assistance of the Milford Police Department, the Hamilton Township (N.J.) Police Division, the Delaware State Police, the Henrico County (Va.) Police Division, the New York State Police, the New York Police Department, and the Pensacola (Fla.) Police Department.
