A 27-yr-old Man from Santa Monica, California Sentenced to 5 years in Prison by the U.S. District Court in Seattle for An Organized Retail Theft Scheme Causing Over $664,000 in Damages

With every rental, he committed to bringing back the machine by a set date or facing a growing penalty. He recognized the consequences of not returning the machine with each rental - the possibility of legal action. Thomas used various debit cards to pay small rental deposits, but he and an accomplice froze the accounts to avoid payment.

You May Also Like,'Laurelle Monet Manley-Williams, of Glen Burnie, Has Been Sentenced For Theft Scheme: Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown Reveals'

Seattle – A 27-year-old Santa Monica, California man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five years in prison for his organized retail theft scheme that caused more than $664,000 in damage, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jaylan Amir Thomas was arrested in May 2023. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud on December 5, 2023. At his sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said Thomas “persisted in this crime spree after being arrested and charged in multiple jurisdictions.”

“Mr. Thomas recruited others to his criminal scheme, and thus altered the trajectory of their lives with criminal charges in various states,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Despite advantages such as a stable home and college studies, Mr. Thomas chose fraud as his path and in the process created higher prices for consumers everywhere.”

In March 2022, Thomas was found to have organized a group that journeyed across the United States, making pit stops at various home improvement stores to rent out costly construction equipment such as jumping jack tampers and vibratory plate compactors, each worth between $1,500 and $2,000. To pull off this scheme, Thomas resorted to using over 150 counterfeit IDs and numerous fake phone numbers to deceive the stores into leasing him the equipment.

With every rental, he committed to bringing back the machine by a set date or facing a growing penalty. He recognized the consequences of not returning the machine with each rental - the possibility of legal action. Thomas used various debit cards to pay small rental deposits, but he and an accomplice froze the accounts to avoid payment. Stolen goods were transported in rental vans by Thomas and his associates. Subsequently, he sold the equipment on online platforms for approximately $700 each.

You May Also Like,'Serial Fraudster Daniel Thomas Broyles Sr., aka Dan Thomas, 66, of Malibu, for Multiple Investment Fraud Schemes: Lady Justice Weighs'

Thomas and his team managed to swipe over 480 pieces of equipment from 190 home improvement stores across 23 states.

The court demanded Thomas to cough up $664,161.50 to compensate the affected home improvement store.

Despite being arrested four times in three different areas for his involvement in the scam, Thomas remained undeterred. He would simply post bail and resume his fraudulent activities.

The crew successfully looted various equipment from stores in Federal Way, Tacoma, Vancouver, Covington, Longview, Bothell, Everett, Redmond, and Seattle.

Asking for a 51-month prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar wrote to the court, “Organized retail crime like Thomas’ thefts has a significant impact on our communities: An analysis from the Retail Industry Leaders Association estimates Washington retailers lost $2.7 billion to organized retail crime in 2021. Forbes Advisor ranked Washington as the number one state impacted by organized retail theft based on six metrics. Organized retail crime raises costs for consumers and threatens the safety of stores and employees.”

Judge Martinez noted that organized retail theft has been on the rise since the pandemic and costs U.S. residents some $30 billion a year.

“Mr. Thomas's multi-state retail theft scheme not only resulted in substantial financial losses for retailers but also highlighted the complex and widespread nature of organized retail crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “This orchestrated fraud operation, underscores the critical need for collaborative efforts, including robust public-private partnerships, to combat such threats effectively. Homeland Security Investigations played a pivotal role in unraveling this intricate network, emphasizing the importance of coordinated efforts between government agencies and private businesses in safeguarding communities from the pervasive impact of organized crime.”

The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar.

You May Also Like,'Sam Lee, 35,of Dubai, Rodney Burton, 54, of Miami, & Brenda Chunga, 43, of Severna Park, Maryland; Three Individuals Charged for Roles in $1.89B Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme'

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME

DISCLAIMER

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Steven Wick Blog. Any content provided by our bloggers or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.

If you decide to purchase any item using our authorized referral/affiliate links, be aware, we may receive a portion of the sales as commission, i.e. if you purchase a product/service.

To shop, select or click buttons, links or images, you will be redirected to product pages. Please, carefully research before you purchase. Feel free to share and leave a comment, we would love to hear from you. Your feedback is very important to us.

For more like this, music, literature, news, fashion, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Steven Wick News Letter.

We here at the Steven Wick Blog are so proud of our work, we’d like to thank you for being a part of our community. However, our mission to share so much from music, literature, lifestyle to fashion is a 24/7 undertaking! We need your help to continue our work. Your financial donation will help us not only keep the lights on, but enable us run many more stories in the future to come. DONATE HERE

Message Of Gratitude

We deeply appreciate your contribution in making our blog the top brand among customers.

Without you as our readers, we wouldn't have achieved this level of success. Your satisfaction is our utmost priority, and we assure you that we will always be a reliable source for your entertainment needs.

Your trust in us is invaluable, and we are grateful for your generous donations as our readers.

A number of you took an extra effort and opted to contribute as monthly donors. By doing so, your generous contribution is multiplied by twelve throughout the year, thereby amplifying the impact you have on our work. Your dedication truly makes a significant change, and we sincerely appreciate your valuable support.

Your support has been instrumental in our brand's success.

Thank you for being with us throughout the past year.

As we continue to grow and enhance our business, we pledge to prioritize your needs and interests.

Best Regards

The Steven Wick Team