Middletown Police help dismantle east coast organized crime group stealing ink from Staples

In response to a Staples retail store theft on March 21, 2022, the Middletown Rhode Island Police Department worked with law enforcement agencies throughout New England to dismantle an Organized Retail Crime group which impacted the East coast for over three-years where the group conducted printer ink thefts from Staples stores.

During the investigation, Middletown Police detectives identified the primary suspect, 35-year-old California resident, Angela Maribell Montes who is the registered owner of a California-based business, “Ink for Less LLC.”

Montes was arraigned in Newport Second District court on June 21, 2022. No plea was entered. She was held on $20,000 surety bail for the larceny charge and held without bail as a fugitive from justice from Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

The New England Organized Retail Crime Alliance assisted law enforcement by cataloging over forty incidents reported to multiple agencies spanning the Eastern United States.

The New England State Police Information Network supported Middletown Police Detectives and coordinated with law enforcement agencies throughout New England to identify a second suspect, Cesar Ramses Martines-Ambriz. Although, Martines-Ambriz was not charged by the Middletown Police, he has been tied to multiple Staples thefts throughout the Northeast.

The Retail Industry Leaders Association reported Organized Retail Crime activity during 2021 had an economic impact in Rhode Island which is responsible for:
➢ $213,959,136.00 in stolen merchandise
➢ $47,990,000.00 tax loss
➢ 5,044 jobs lost