by Alex Lloyd Gross
Jose Gomez and Ysaias Arajuo were charged Thursday with felony counts of corrupt organizations, organized retail theft, theft by unlawful taking, along with other related offenses. Gomez is in custody; a warrant was issued for Arajuo’s arrest.
The pair allegedly stole 56 times from different Lowes stores in Philly, Bucks, Montgomery counties locally and Lehigh, Luzerne, Northampton, Monroe, and Pike counties across the state. According to Pa Attorney General Dave Sunday, the pair would use self check out registers and purchase items, using their cellphones, which were linked to stolen accounts. The legitimate customers had no idea until they got the bills with the unfamiliar purchases on them.
All of the purchases were disputed with Synchony Bank, who handles the Lowes credit card account. The bank did not pay, took the items off the bill and that left Lowes holding the bag for $99,689. Sunday said.
While the investigation for Bucks County progressed, the Attorney General said that the Warrington Police Department provided essential support in their investigation. It is unknown what the pair purchased or if they sold the stolen goods.