RIVERSIDE (CNS) - Two men accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise from the Moreno Valley warehouse where they were employed were charged Monday with grand theft and other offenses.
Francisco Chavez Cuica, 50, and Eduardo Chavez Diaz, 19, both of Riverside, were arrested Thursday following a Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigation.
Along with theft, both men are charged with sentence-enhancing allegations of taking advantage of a position of trust to commit a felony, stealing a large quantity of goods and using planning and sophistication to perpetrate an offense.
Each defendant is being held in lieu of $350,000 bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning. The pair were slated to make a joint initial court appearance Monday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
According to sheriff's Sgt. Joseph Fitzgerald, deputies were sent to the warehouse in the 22300 block of Van Buren Boulevard Thursday morning to investigate "an ongoing embezzlement scheme" that had been uncovered by management.
"The business reported an estimated loss of $350,000 in stolen merchandise from the warehouse, involving two employees," Fitzgerald said. "During the investigation, (sheriff's) personnel discovered the merchandise was being sold through an online marketplace."
Sufficient evidence was gathered to obtain and serve a search warrant at the defendants' shared residence in the 9100 block of Rangpur Circle hours later.
"Approximately $78,818 in stolen merchandise belonging to the warehouse was seized from the residence," Fitzgerald alleged.
The specific time span over which the thefts occurred was not disclosed.
The defendants were taken into custody without incident.
Neither man has documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Related
Related
