Three men have been charged with stealing customer account information and then making purchases at five Pennsylvania locations. Attorney General Dave Sunday said that Lowe’s outlets had been arrested.
Joel Cabrera-Gutierrez, 48, and Francisco Dejesus-Valerio, 35, are both charged with nine counts of organized retail theft and corrupt organizations. Leury Antonio Cepeda-Brioso, 28, was charged with eight counts of organized retail theft.
The trio are charged with thefts in Columbia, Franklin, Monroe, Warren, and York counties between August 4 and September 30. Sunday reported that they had lost about $50,000.
“These defendants harmed unsuspecting customers and businesses with this widespread scheme,” Attorney General Sunday declared. “I am grateful that our Organized Retail Crime Section works with law enforcement across the Commonwealth to hold criminals accountable for conduct that harms all consumers by forcing businesses to raise prices of goods.”
The inquiry revealed that the trio used five different Lowe’s account numbers to complete online orders. The purchases included products commonly found in the construction industry, such as doors, flooring, and kitchen cabinets. Lowe’s security cameras captured the items being picked up.
The case will be prosecuted by the Organized Crime Section of the Office of the Attorney General.
Leave a Reply