Four Guatemalan nationals were sentenced for their involvement in a multi-state retail theft operation that targeted home improvement stores and other retailers, resulting in losses of at least $280,000. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island announced the sentencing on Thursday.
The defendants—Abraham Dayger-Enrique, 25; Jonathan Jose Amperez-Perez, 32; Marvin Estuardo Morales De Paz, 30; and Sebastian Lajuj-Solomon, 31—were part of a group responsible for approximately 35 thefts at national retailers across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.
The group stole high-value items, including electrical wire, flooring, power tools, and clothing, which were later resold for profit. A court-authorized search on April 12, 2024, at residences in Cranston and Providence led to the seizure of $11,000 worth of stolen merchandise and $83,000 in cash.
U.S. District Court Senior Judge William E. Smith sentenced Dayger-Enrique and Amperez-Perez to time served (11 months) and ordered their removal to Guatemala. In January, Morales De Paz, described as the most consistent member of the conspiracy, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. He was also placed under an immigration detainer by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Lajuj-Solomon was sentenced to time served (nine months) and was also ordered removed from the U.S. He was deported to Guatemala in January.
