Elderly shoppers targeted: NJ man admits role in nationwide theft ring

🔴 Elderly shoppers targeted in distraction thefts at retail stores

🔴Multi-state crime ring linked to New Jersey used fake passports and rental cars

🔴 Edison man pleads guilty and faces up to five years in federal prison

A 34-year-old Peruvian national living in New Jersey has pleaded guilty to his role in a credit card theft and identity theft scheme.

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Distraction thefts targeted elderly shoppers at major retail stores

According to court documents, in 2022, the FBI and local law enforcement agencies in Connecticut and elsewhere began investigating a series of distraction thefts to steal wallets, particularly from elderly women at Trader Joe’s grocery stores, TJ Maxx retail stores, and other shops in Connecticut, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and South Carolina.

Investigators link Edison man to nationwide identity theft ring

The investigation revealed that Erick Christian Luna de la Cruz, of Edison, and others traveled around the country to steal wallets from unsuspecting victims, then used the victims’ credit and debit cards to buy electronic devices and other items, Sullivan said.

Stolen goods shipped to Paterson as scheme crossed state lines

Luna de la Cruz and his associates stopped at shipping providers along their route to ship the goods they bought to a co-conspirator’s address in Paterson.

Fake passport, rental cars, and federal charges follow

The group also used a fake passport to rent cars used in the thefts between September 2023 and March 2024, the indictment alleged and NJ.com reported.

Luna de la Cruz was arrested on June 28, 2024. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and faces up to five years in prison.

He was released on a $100,000 bond under electronic monitoring and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22.

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