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A sophisticated burglary ring tracked their victims with GPS, cut the power and slipped into darkened homes, leaving behind a trail of slashed mattresses and scattered valuables across the country that a judge called “bone-chilling” — all while in the U.S. illegally.
Six members of the seven-person crew, all of whom are illegal immigrants, each received sentences that exceeded the recommendation for ordinary theft offenses due to the nature of the large-scale operation, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan said in a news release on Thursday. The final member remains at large.
John Sebastian Quintero-Herrera, a 29-year-old Colombian national and the leader of the crew, was handed down a sentence of 70 months after pleading guilty to interstate transportation of stolen property.
U.S. District Judge Jane M. Beckering described their sophisticated operation as “Ocean’s Eleven-style conduct” while being “downright cruel” and producing a “bone-chilling” effect on homeowners.
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The defendants ransacked their victims’ homes looking for valuables, federal prosecutors said. (Department of Justice)
Quintero-Herrera and his crew hit at least 20 homes across the country, a case that U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey cited as “another example of why we are so alarmed by illegal immigration into the United States.”
“When these people sneaked into our country, they weren’t looking for a chance to get a job,” VerHey said. “Their idea of a better life was to set up a burglary operation targeting the homes of people all over the United States.”
The defendants used hidden surveillance cameras to watch potential victims, federal prosecutors said. (Department of Justice)
The group focused on small business owners believed to keep large amounts of cash or valuables at home. Investigators said the suspects conducted extensive surveillance, using GPS trackers to monitor victims’ movements and cameras to watch their residences.
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Once targets were identified, prosecutors said the group broke into homes, sometimes cutting power beforehand before ransacking them. Authorities said they stole cash, jewelry, luxury handbags and shoes, family heirlooms, and personal documents such as passports and mortgage records.
Homes were often left in severe disarray, with belongings scattered and mattresses slashed, according to prosecutors.
The defendants put GPS trackers on their victims’ cars to locate their homes, federal prosecutors said. (Department of Justice)
Officials said the suspects spent the stolen money on drugs, nightlife and lavish travel.
“These professional burglars made over $1,500,000 breaking into people’s homes, but perhaps the most precious thing they stole from their victims was their sense of security and safety,” VerHey said.
The five other members of the crew who have pleaded guilty and been sentenced include: Iesua Ramirez-Perez, 26; Ivan Chaparro-Perez, 31; William Villarraga-Joya, 33; Paul Mendoza-Arevalo, 39; and Wendy Acosta-Arevalo, 31.
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Ramirez-Perez, Chaparro-Perez and Mendoza-Arevalo were each convicted of conspiracy to transport stolen property, each receiving a sentence of 39 months, 42 months and 48 months, respectively.
Villarraga-Joya and Acosta-Arevalo were each convicted of interstate transportation of stolen property, and were sentenced to 90 months and 24 months, respectively.