Arizona duo allegedly sold stolen goods out of their living room — why what seems like a steal of a deal could cost you

Yahoo

8 hours ago

Nephtali Santiago-Garcia and Yuli "Nissy" Esther Degante Vigueras must have had a house that smelled pretty good recently. That's because the couple had an estimated $355,000 worth of Bath & Body Works products stashed on their property.
The two individuals involved weren't just really (really) into candles and lotions, of course. They were part of an intricate theft operation, involving a Bath & Body Works delivery driver and an organized retail theft ring that was stealing merchandise to the couple to illegally resell.
"Their living room was set up like a retail store," the Phoenix Police shared in a news conference. "You were invited to shop around. When you made a purchase, they went so far as to wrap it up in a Bath & Body Works paper shopping bag just like you would have at a real store,' adding, 'None of it was legitimate."
Here's how the theft ring operated, along with some advice for customers who want to avoid inadvertently participating in a similar illegal scheme.
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Large-scale retail theft ring
Police came across Santiago-Garcia and Degante-Vigueras after a long investigation that began in 2023, following a tip from a loss prevention department at an Arizona Bath & Body Works. According to that tip, criminals were coming into their store and clearing out the shelves in a matter of a few minutes.
"When it is scaring customers, employees are running for the back type of thing, you realize that this is a serious thing," police officials said.
In total, criminals ended up stealing over $160,000 in merchandise from stores in Arizona, Texas and Nevada — and police found they were selling most of this stuff to the husband-and-wife team, who lived in Glendale.
While the couple is accused of trafficking a large amount of their merchandise from the robbers, they also teamed up with Marcos Ortega-Hernandez, a delivery driver, who was paid more than $72,000 to provide the couple with products instead of delivering them to the stores where the items were intended to go.
The couple set up a storefront in their living room and would hold garage sales every weekend, where he would have tables of stolen merchandise to sell and advertising on OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace and TikTok.
Fortunately, police were able to unravel the scheme and arrest the couple, along with the crew members and a number of other people accused of physically stealing the goods. The couple and the delivery driver are facing charges including fraud, illegal control of an enterprise and trafficking stolen property.
And the impact extends beyond a financial hit to the company's bottom line.
'It is a part of a much bigger problem. It affects prices, public safety and the health of our local economies,' officials said.
The Arizona police are actively investigating other retail crime operations in the area.
'So you can either go out there and make an honest living, or you can keep looking over your shoulder wondering if your name is next on our list,' cautioned a spokesperson for the Phoenix Police.
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What happens if you buy stolen goods?
Santiago-Garcia and Degante-Vigueras were making profit selling their stolen merchandise, which means there were customers who may have been participating in the scheme. But, the big question is, would those buyers have known the items were stolen and, if so, what happens to people who knowingly buy stolen property?
Under Arizona law, buying or possessing stolen property is a crime. According to Criminal Code 13-2305 you could be charged with a criminal offense if:
You have property in your possession that was recently stolen and don't have a good explanation for how you got it.
You purchased stolen property at a rate that's much lower than what the items normally cost and you don't have a good reason for why you paid so little.
You bought stolen property in a way that's outside of the regular course of business without a valid explanation.
Many other states also have similar laws.
Based on these laws, people who went into the home of this Glendale couple and brought products could very likely be charged, as this transaction was definitely out of the ordinary course of business and as most people don't have Bath & Body Works stores in their homes.
Of course, no one wants a criminal record and especially not for buying scented body lotion — or similar relatively inexpensive personal items. To avoid unwitting participating in a similar scheme:
Don't buy goods from sellers you don't know, or whose reputation you can't verify
Request that a seller provide proof they own an item legitimately before you buy it
Be cautious if a deal seems too good to be true
Avoid situations that are out-of-the-ordinary pathways to ownership, such as buying Bath & Body works from someone's living room
While a cheap candle, home fragrance, or other item at a rock bottom price may seem tempting, taking these steps to help you avoid buying stolen goods ensures you won't unintentionally support a criminal enterprise — or end up with a criminal record yourself.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.