The Office of Statewide Prosecution in Florida, led by Attorney General Ashley Moody, has charged five individuals with organized retail theft. The accused are Yordan Rayo-Correoso, Erick Igorra-Viera, Jose Jiklin Palmero Bazan, Tomas Baujin-Marrero, and Yereslan Gonzalez-Padron. Over a 15-month period, they allegedly executed more than 200 thefts across 14 judicial circuits in the state. The targeted retailers included T.J. Maxx, Ulta Beauty, Burlington, Target, among others.
Attorney General Ashley Moody commented on the case stating: “This organized crime ring traveled the state, stealing from hundreds of stores and causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses to retailers. Through our proactive statewide strategic efforts, coordinating with law enforcement and retailers, we have dismantled this massive crime ring and now the members will face justice.”
Investigations revealed that the defendants removed anti-theft tags from various items such as clothing and purses before placing them into suitcases or hampers to exit stores without payment. Their aim was reportedly to sell these stolen goods.
The thefts occurred in counties within judicial circuits including the Fourth through Twentieth Circuits. The group is said to have caused at least $400,000 in losses to affected retailers.
Charges against Rayo-Correoso include 15 counts of organized retail theft and unlawful use of a two-way communication device among others. Igorra-Viera faces eight counts including grand theft while Bazan has two counts along with additional charges. Baujin-Marrero is charged with two counts of organized retail theft and Gonzalez-Padron faces four counts along with other charges. Bazan and Gonzalez are currently held under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers; four out of five defendants are in custody while one remains at large.
The Florida Organized Retail Crime Exchange (FORCE), launched by Attorney General Moody alongside the Florida Retailers Association in 2021, contributed significantly to this case by enabling data sharing between law enforcement and retailers.
Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Chris Olowin will handle the proceedings related to this case.