OAKLAND, CA – Two members of an organized retail theft ring operating in California have pleaded guilty, authorities said.
Charges have also been filed against another person allegedly involved in the scheme, according to a press release from California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Between September 2020 and February 2021, defendants Anton Salaam and Marion Paul Tilley, along with two other suspects, committed retail theft at multiple JCPenney and Sam’s Clubs stores, resulting in approximately $1 million in losses, according to the release.
The suspects entered stores by breaking and entering though exterior doors and stealing high-end jewelry in locations throughout California, including Contra Costa, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Placer, Sacramento, San Bernardino and Tulare Counties, authorities stated. Officers located evidence in the defendants’ homes, including jewelry and cases used for sale. It’s further alleged that the suspects were stealing the items to sell, exchange or return for value.
Salaam and Tilley pled guilty to a violation of organized retail theft. Salaam was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment. Tilley has pleaded guilty and agreed to a 16-month prison sentence but has not yet been formally sentenced. A third suspect has been charged with organized retail theft and child endangerment, as an illegal assault weapon was allegedly found in the presence of the suspect’s 9-year-old child. A fourth suspect was also charged with organized retail theft.
“Organized retail theft costs businesses, retailers, and consumers – and puts the public at risk,” Bonta said. “Brazen criminal activity, such as the organized retail theft operation we are taking action against today, will not be tolerated in California. As our state’s chief law enforcement officer, I am committed to aggressively pursuing and prosecuting those who break the law. Ending crime is a team effort. I am grateful for Governor Newsom’s commitment to this issue and I applaud the leadership of the CHP and the efforts of all of our law enforcement partners who worked on this case.”
A copy of the complaint is available here.