Man who stole $1M worth of merchandise in AZ, other states sentenced to prison
PHOENIX - A "prolific" organized retail thief was sentenced to years in prison after being convicted of stealing more than a million dollars worth of merchandise in Arizona, among other states.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office said on June 20 that Juan Ambriz-Rincon will spend three-and-a-half years in prison and must pay $300,000 in restitution.
"Rather than being gainfully employed, this criminal made it his full-time job to steal over $1M from retail stores and then re-sell the stolen merchandise," Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said.
Ambriz-Rincon pleaded guilty to felony counts in April. Those counts include charges of organized retail theft, trafficking in stolen property, and possession of dangerous drugs.
"Although the crimes were committed in several states, the victim company asked MCAO to prosecute here because of MCAO’s expertise in organized retail theft case," the county attorney's office said.
MCAO says The Home Depot was the only victim in the thefts.
"The Home Depot continues to feel the pressure of organized retail crime across the country. The work of Rachel Mitchell and her team is instrumental in ensuring we can reverse this growing trend in Maricopa County," said The Home Depot’s senior manager of Organized Retail Crime, Sean Browne.