NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A married couple from Queens and three alleged co-conspirators were charged with operating a local and international retail theft and fencing operation, selling stolen products from their Kew Gardens Hills home and a Dominican Republic storefront, officials announced Tuesday.
Spouses Christopher Guzman, 35, and Yvelisse Guzman Batista, 29, purchased stolen retail cosmetic goods, beauty products, perfume, designer clothing and accessories from theft crews that robbed retailers along the East Coast, the charges and investigation allege. The couple is also accused of organizing large-scale thefts from manufacturers before products were distributed.
Guzman Batista’s mother Rosa Rodriguez Santana, Johanny Almonte Reyes and Tiffany Leon Fuentes are also charged with assisting the operation.
“Through locations in Queens County and the Dominican Republic, this crew sold more than $2 million in stolen merchandise in a two-year period,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “This marks the first time in New York anyone has been charged for the crime of fostering the sale of stolen goods, a new measure passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Hochul to stop the sale of stolen goods through both online platforms and brick-and-mortar locations.”
The couple would receive about $50,000 worth of stolen goods per week, paying the theft crews between 10% and 15% of the retail value, prosecutors said. The products were then catalogued and sold in New York through online advertisements, and out of a boutique called “Yvelisse Fashion” abroad.
“These arrests once again prove that consumers should be extremely careful about buying items on social media or from unfamiliar vendors,” Katz said. “As we approach the holiday season, take great care to know the genesis of the products you are buying.”
After the theft ring was brought to the attention of the authorities, an investigation launched between the district attorney’s office, New York State Police and Homeland Security Investigations New York.
The team conducted an undercover investigation, and investigators posing as thieves completed three sales of “stolen goods” to the Guzmans, including beauty products and perfume. For $22,926 in merchandise, they were paid $3,711, or 16% of the retail price, with the couple on multiple occasions requesting the undercover operatives steal certain products based to meet the demands of their buyers.
Another undercover investigator purchased goods from the Guzmans after contacting them through a social media page, meeting them at their Queens residence. The operative went to their basement, which was set up like a retail store, with shelves of merchandise.
From Jan. 10, 2022 to Sept. 16, 2024, the Guzmans made 279 payments to 51 people totaling $230,041.98, records show. The payees were called “vendedora,” meaning seller or vendor, a term the couple allegedly used to refer to theft crew members.
Prosecutors said that ledgers recovered upon execution of a search warrant showed hundreds of similar payments dating back to at least 2021.
The Guzmans and their co-defendants are accused of executing thefts all across the East Coast. For example, Fuentes was caught on video stealing from Ulta Beauty stores in New Jersey and Maryland, prosecutors said.
The warrant let investigators search the Guzmans’ home, an apartment in Fresh Meadows and another location in Briarwood, yielding over 50,000 products, clothes and accessories worth nearly $1.1 million, a money counter, sticker labels branded as “Yvelisse Fashion,” shipping barrels, two polymer ghost gun kits and other resources.
“New Yorkers are sick and tired of the retail theft that has been plaguing our businesses and communities—I promised we would fight it head on and now we are seeing results,” Hochul said. “Earlier this year, we gave law enforcement and store owners the tools and support needed to help meet this challenge, and today with our partner [D.A. Katz], we’re taking down a massive retail theft ring stretching from New York City to Maryland to the Dominican Republic.”
The Guzmans, Rodriguez Santana and Almonte Reyes were arraigned on charges of criminal possession of stolen property, conspiracy, fostering the sale of stolen goods and related counts. Christopher Guzman also is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
Fuentes is charged with criminal possession of stolen property, grand larceny and petit larceny.
All five defendants are due back in court on Jan. 15 and face up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top count, prosecutors said.
“Keeping New Yorkers safe is my number one priority, and as we enter the holiday shopping season, we will continue focusing our efforts to ensure people feel safe walking into stores and business owners can focus on serving their customers instead of locking up everyday items like toothpaste and deodorant,” Hochul said.