BRENTWOOD PAWN SHOP OWNER AND THREE ASSOCIATES ARRESTED AND CHARGED FOR RUNNING ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT RING

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Carlos Ulloa, Henry Delgado, Sandra Cruz and Sandra Palomino each face the top count of Enterprise Corruption, a Class B Felony, for allegedly engaging in an organized retail theft crime ring using Ulloa’s Brentwood pawn shop as a front.

“These defendants and their associates allegedly engaged in a massive stolen property fencing operation run out of a pawn shop that has been fueling the retail theft epidemic in Suffolk County and elsewhere,” said Tierney. “These arrests and the prosecution of these defendants should serve as a stark reminder to what the District Attorney’s Office has been saying since I took office, if you steal other people’s property in Suffolk County, we will use every means at our disposal to see that you are prosecuted. Period.”

Ulloa, 50 of Patchogue, the owner and operator of EZ Cash Pawn and Jewelry in Brentwood and renter of a warehouse in East Patchogue where numerous allegedly stolen items were recovered is charged with:

One count of Enterprise Corruption;

One count of Money Laundering in the Second Degree;

One count of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree; and

Three counts of Criminal Possession of Weapon in the Third Degree.

Delgado, 40, of Medford, is charged with:

One count of Enterprise Corruption; and

One count of Money Laundering in the Second Degree; and

One count of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree.

Delgado, allegedly sold the stolen merchandise in furtherance of the criminal enterprise online through the internet websites.

Cruz, 23 of Patchogue, an associate of Ulloa who managed the warehouse and its employees and allegedly utilized the warehouse to sell stolen goods for Ulloa through online websites, is charged with:

One count of Enterprise Corruption; and

One count of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree.

Palomino, 45, of Brentwood, the manager EZ Pawn and its employees is charged with:

One count of Enterprise Corruption; and

One count of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree.

The conspirators are alleged to have used “Boosters” or thieves who stole items from major retailers such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, Petco and PetSmart.

According to charging documents and statements made at the arraignments, between October 1, 2021 and August 6, 2022, after PALOMINO allegedly purchased stolen merchandise from boosters at the pawn shop, ULLOA and his associates then transported them to the warehouse in East Patchogue.

The stolen items were then photographed, listed on internet websites to be resold, and packaged for delivery. The repeated act of reselling stolen items on different platforms, generated a large sum of criminal proceeds for these defendants and his associates. During the 10-month period, the investigation found that more than $1 Million was transferred just from eBay accounts to bank accounts owned by ULLOA. DELGADO would then issue checks to ULLOA and his two corporations when requested by ULLOA to do so. 

Search warrants executed on August 6, 2022 at the pawn shop, the warehouse and ULLOA’S residence resulted in the seizure of thousands of new products allegedly stolen from retailers throughout Suffolk County. From ULLOA’S residence, police also seized a stolen handgun and illegal high capacity magazines.

ULLOA, CRUZ, PALOMINO and DELGADO were arraigned by the Honorable Jennifer A. Henry on August 6, 2022. Each defendant was ordered to be held on bail by Judge Henry.

ULLOA is being held on $1 Million cash/$3 Million bond or $10 Million partially secured bond. ULLOA is being represented by David Besso, Esq.

DELGADO is being held on $750,000 cash or $1.5 Million bond or $7.5 Million in partially secured bond. He is being represented by William Keahon, Esq.  

Subsequently, on August 8 and 9, 2022, the Honorable James A. Saladino ordered the release of CRUZ and PALOMINO and placed them on supervised release and GPS monitoring.

CRUZ is represented by Daniel Sullivan, Esq.  PALOMINO is being represented by George Duncan, Esq.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney James Bartens and Assistant District Attorney Adriana Noyola of the Financial Crimes Bureau.

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Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments.

Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

William J. Lindsay County Complex • Building 77 • 725 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge, NY 11788

(631) 852-3185 | SuffolkCountyNY.gov/DA