South Carolina man sentenced to prison for scheme to steal, resell electronics from Bethlehem Walmart warehouse

A person residing in South Carolina was sentenced to nearly 4 years in jail for organizing and collaborating in a scheme to steal  and resell electronics from a Bethlehem Walmart whereas he was working within the retailer’s distribution middle. 

Rusmaldy Jimenez-Hiciano, 38, of Goose Creek, was a long-time worker of the distribution middle in 2017 when he devised a plan to defraud his employer by hiding a number of the high-end digital merchandise because it got here into the warehouse on supply vehicles, U.S. prosecutors stated. 

After stealing the gadgets, Jimenez-Hiciano would repackage and mail the gadgets to addresses in Allentown that he managed. When the stolen gadgets arrived at his doorstep, he would resell them and share the proceeds with different individuals. Among the many gadgets stolen had been 1,000 Apple iPads, 912 Apple Watches, and 285 Nintendo Swap consoles, altogether value practically $2 million, The Morning Name reported. 

He beforehand pleaded responsible to 4 counts of mail fraud and admitted in federal courtroom to masterminding the scheme.

Along with three years and 10 months in jail, Jimenez-Hiciano has additionally been sentenced to 3 years of supervised launch. He has been ordered to pay $536,000 in restitution and forfeit $461,000 for his position in perpetrating a mail fraud scheme towards his employer. 

“Jimenez-Hiciano stole tons of of 1000’s of {dollars}’ value of products from his former employer,” stated U.S. Lawyer Jacqueline C. Romero. “As an alternative of doing the best issues and performing his job actually, he took benefit of his place and his employer. Our workplace will proceed to work with our regulation enforcement companions to guard harmless people and companies from being victimized by monetary fraud.” 

Jimenez-Hiciano was fired from the Bethlehem distribution middle in 2017 after Walmart discovered about his thefts. Nonetheless, he saved involved with former co-worker Erick Rodriguez by way of Could 2018 and was capable of proceed the scheme. 

Rodriguez, who additionally pleaded responsible to mail fraud in reference to the scheme, is slated for sentencing in October, Lehigh Valley Stay reported.