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Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney announced on Tuesday, Aug. 9, that the suspects would steal items from big box stores and then use Ulloa’s Brentwood pawn shop as a front.
The suspects would allegedly store the products at a warehouse before selling them online, the DA's Office said.
The suspects, Carlos Ulloa, Henry Delgado, Sandra Cruz, and Sandra Palomino generated over $1 million a year in profit, authorities say.
Ulloa, age 50, of Patchogue, the owner and operator of EZ Cash Pawn and Jewelry in Brentwood and the renter of a warehouse in East Patchogue where numerous allegedly stolen items were recovered was charged with:
- Enterprise corruption
- Money laundering
- Conspiracy
- Three counts of criminal possession of a weapon
Delgado, age 40, of Medford, who allegedly sold the stolen merchandise online through internet websites was charged with:
- Enterprise corruption
- Money laundering
- Conspiracy
Cruz, age 23, of Patchogue, an associate of Ulloa who managed the warehouse and its employees and allegedly utilized the warehouse to sell stolen goods for Ulloa through online websites, was charged with:
- Enterprise corruption
- Conspiracy
Palomino, age 45, of Brentwood, the manager of EZ Pawn and its employees was charged with:
- Enterprise Corruption
- Conspiracy
The conspirators are alleged to have used “boosters” or thieves who stole items from major retailers such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, Petco, and PetSmart, the DA's Office said.
According to charging documents and statements made at the arraignments, between Oct. 1, 2021, and Aug. 6, after Palomino allegedly purchased stolen merchandise from boosters at the pawn shop, Ulloa, and his associates then transported them to the warehouse in East Patchogue.
The stolen items were then photographed, listed on internet websites to be resold, and packaged for delivery. The repeated act of reselling stolen items on different platforms generated a large sum of criminal proceeds for the defendants, the DA's Office said.
During the 10-month period, the investigation found that more than $1 million was transferred just from eBay accounts to bank accounts owned by Ulloa.
Delegado would then issue checks to Ulloa and his two corporations.
Search warrants executed on Saturday, Aug. 6, at the pawn shop, the warehouse, and Ulloa's residence resulted in the seizure of thousands of new products allegedly stolen from retailers throughout Suffolk County, the DA's Office said.
All face up to eight years in prison if found guilty.
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