PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Cranston person who structured and executed strategies to steal and sell just about $700,000 value of excavators, activity boats, jet skis, all-terrain autos, and trailers from dealerships and marinas in four New England states was sentenced these days to five a long time in federal jail, introduced Acting United States Legal professional Richard B. Myrus.
From November 2019 by way of July 2020, Jose A. Montes, aka Jose Rivera, aka “Tuto”, 37, led 1 or far more individuals less than the include of darkness to crack into small business and steal three Bobcat excavators, 10 jet skis, 4 boats, 8 all-terrain vehicles, and ten trailers. Some of the machines was subsequently recovered by law enforcement quite a few of the objects have been hauled to Florida and offered some things continue to be unaccounted for.
Montes formerly admitted to the courtroom that:
- On October 22, 2019, Montes and a man or woman he recruited forcibly entered a locked Rehoboth, MA, company and stole 4 jet skis and two double trailers valued at a whole of approximately $52,000. Two of the watercrafts ended up afterwards recovered in Cranston by the Cranston Law enforcement.
- On November 18, 2019, Montes and a different particular person slash the lock off a gate primary to a marina in South Kingstown and stole a 22-foot activity boat sitting atop a trailer, with a put together benefit at $30,000. The boat and trailer had been later on recovered by law enforcement in Sarasota, FL.
- On December 28, 2019, Montes and two many others forcibly entered a marina in Tiverton and stole two sport fishing boats sitting atop trailers, worth a full of virtually $201,000. The boats have been towed to a assets in Johnston. Montes later taken out the engine from 1 boat in Scituate. The vessel was recovered by law enforcement. The next boat was towed to Sarasota, FL, in which it was to be marketed. It was located and seized by law enforcement.
- Twice on the night of April 10, 2020, and at the time the future evening, Montes forcibly entered a Bobcat dealership in Auburn, MA and loaded a Bobcat equipment on to a trailer beforehand reported stolen in Massachusetts. The machines stolen on April 10, 2020, had been taken to a assets in North Scituate. The equipment stolen on April 11, 2020 was brought to a property in Glocester. All a few of the machines, valued at a total of $195,000, ended up recovered by legislation enforcement.
- On April 12, 2020, Montes and an additional particular person forcibly entered a Vernon, CT, organization exactly where they pushed an all-terrain car or truck and 3-wheeled street motor car on to a trailer. Their endeavor to steal the vehicles was interrupted, and the guys fled as law enforcement responded to the region for an unrelated subject. Undeterred, the two men then traveled to a close by enterprise where they stole an all-terrain automobile, a jet ski, and two trailers, valued at a overall of $22,700.
- On July 20, 2020, Montes and two gentlemen he recruited unlawfully entered a enterprise in Easton, MA, and stole 3 jet skis and three trailers valued at a full of much more than $17,500. One particular of the trailers was recovered by Easton Law enforcement in Providence.
- On July 29, Montes and other people stole from a Hampstead, NH, business enterprise 4 all-terrain vehicles, two jet skis, and two trailers, valued in whole at $77,098. 1 of the all-terrain automobiles was situated on August 2, 2020 but was subsequently stolen all over again after currently being towed by Providence Law enforcement. A 7 days later Hampstead Law enforcement recovered 1 of the stolen all-terrain automobiles.
Montes pleaded guilty on May possibly 12, 2021, to eight counts of interstate transportation of stolen property and three counts of conspiracy to dedicate interstate transportation of stolen property. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court docket Decide Mary S. McElroy to 60 months in federal jail to be followed by a few several years of federal supervised launch.
Eight additional defendants have been billed in this make any difference.
The cases are remaining prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William J. Ferland and Ly T. Chin.
The investigation was released by the Johnston and North Providence Law enforcement Departments, and later joined by the FBI Harmless Streets Undertaking Power. The investigation merged with a parallel investigation getting carried out by Rhode Island and Connecticut Point out Law enforcement, and the Easton, Mass., and the Hampstead, N.H., Police Departments.
Performing United States Attorney Myrus thanks the Tiverton, South Kingstown, Scituate, Cranston and Providence, R.I., and Auburn, Mass., Law enforcement Departments and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Business office in Sarasota, FL, for their help in the investigations.
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