RI State Police arrest two for possession of $20,000 of stolen Massachusetts merchandise

Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Department of Public Safety, announces the arrest of two New York residents for possession of stolen goods worth more than $20,000 following a traffic stop on Interstate 95 in Richmond around 9 p.m. on Friday night.

Karina Rojas, age 32, of Corona, NY, and Angela Maria Perez, age 32, also of Corona, NY, were each charged with one count of Receiving Stolen Goods and one count of Conspiracy. They were arraigned at the Hope Valley Barracks earlier today. Rojas was ordered held on $20,000 surety bail, pending an appearance in Fourth Division District Court in Wakefield on Monday. Perez was released after posting $3,000 surety bail, pending a future court appearance in Fourth Division District Court.

The two women were the sole occupants in a vehicle that was stopped by for violating the state’s Move Over law on Interstate 95 South in Richmond last night. Following the traffic stop and subsequent investigation, Troopers from the Hope Valley Barracks took both women into custody and recovered numerous stolen items that were observed in plain view throughout the vehicle. The merchandise included mostly designer clothing, as well as jewelry, perfume and cosmetics.

The items were allegedly stolen from the following stores in Massachusetts: Anthropologie, J. Crew, Bath & Body Works, Express and Athleta. Also seized from the vehicle were multiple “booster bags,” which are known to be used by shoplifters. These bags are lined with special material, typically multiple layers of aluminum foil, that are designed to evade detection from retail stores that use security devices and detectors.

The penalty for conviction on the charge of Receiving Stolen Goods with a value exceeding $20,000, includes possible imprisonment for not more than 10 years or by a fine of not more than $5,000, or both. The penalty for Conspiracy, if convicted, may include the same imprisonment and fine as pertains to the offense the person had conspired to commit.