Seven individuals from Chile have been charged in connection with a series of residential burglaries across several states, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna. The accused include Christofer Sanguesa Aguirre, Fabiana Prado Scatarzi, Santana Arturo Castillo Gonzalez, Felipe Andres Del Valle Munoz, Carlos Alfredo Calderon Valencia, Diego Antonio Calderon Leiva, and Pedro Alejandro Salgado Vallejos. They face charges of conspiracy to sell and receive stolen property that crossed state lines.
"Residential burglaries have a traumatic and personal impact upon the people whose homes are violated," stated Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna. "Seven Chilean nationals have been charged with conspiring to target homeowners in residential burglaries across multiple states from New Jersey to Massachusetts."
FBI-Newark Special Agent-in-Charge Brian J. Driscoll Jr. added, "We allege these men and women ransacked houses here in New Jersey and the East Coast...stealing over one hundred thousand dollars in valuables from private homes."
John Tsoukaris of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations emphasized the importance of cooperation among law enforcement agencies: "ERO’s contributions to this investigation...were critical in facilitating the criminal charges."
Port Authority Police Superintendent Edward Cetnar highlighted the role of technology: "By working together and leveraging our advanced technology...we were able to track these subjects across state lines."
The defendants appeared before various U.S. Magistrate Judges on January 15, 2025, where they were detained pending further proceedings.
According to court documents, the group was involved in sophisticated burglaries during November 2024 in New Jersey and Massachusetts. They allegedly conspired to possess valuable goods totaling over $100,000.
Law enforcement recovered numerous items including jewelry and watches after searching a vehicle used by the defendants for transporting stolen goods. Further searches led to additional recoveries at a residence in Carlton, Oregon.
The charges carry significant penalties: up to five years for conspiracy to sell or receive stolen property and up to ten years for receipt of stolen property.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited multiple law enforcement agencies for their roles in investigating this case.
Anyone with information about the theft group is encouraged to contact authorities via 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor A. Chenoweth represents the government in this case.
The defendants remain presumed innocent until proven guilty as per legal standards.