PHOENIX — Phoenix police have arrested a husband and wife and a delivery driver who are accused of running a sophisticated organized retail theft operation.
Authorities say the suspects stole and resold merchandise worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In 2023 and 2024, investigators identified a crew responsible for stealing more than $160,000 in merchandise, primarily from Bath & Body Works locations around Phoenix and Maricopa County.
The investigation led to the arrest of a husband and wife in Glendale, identified as Nephtali Santiago-Garcia and Yuli "Nissy" Degante-Vigueras.
The couple is accused of purchasing large volumes of stolen goods and reselling them for profit.
Their home in Glendale featured a makeshift storefront in the living room that was full of the stolen merchandise. The items were often sold through online platforms, police say.
The investigation determined they trafficked in stolen property more than a dozen times between 2023 and 2024.
Authorities also learned that a third suspect, Marcos Ortega Hernandez, who worked as a delivery driver, supplied the couple with a substantial amount of stolen merchandise that he was supposed to deliver to retailers, like Bath and Body Works, Old Navy, Victoria's Secret, Gap, and Banana Republic.
He allegedly diverted an estimated $200,000 worth of cargo for illegal sale. Police say Hernandez received more than $72,000 in payments from the married couple for illicit transactions.
All three suspects were arrested earlier this year and face several charges, including, fraud, trafficking in stolen property, illegal control of an enterprise and more.
