NEWARK, N.J. – Five men were convicted today for their roles in a conspiracy to transport over $2 million worth of stolen perfume products out of New Jersey to Florida, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Carlos Duvergel, 57, of Texas, and Juan Crespo, 45, Felix Castillo, 49, Asnay Fernandez, 31, and Ismael Manzano-Suarez, 24, all of Hialeah, Florida, were charged by superseding indictment with conspiring to transport stolen property in interstate commerce and transportations of stolen property in interstate commerce. They were convicted following an eight-day trial before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In November 2017, the defendants broke into a warehouse storing perfume products in Edison, New Jersey, and drove away with two tractor trailers filled with stolen perfume products. The value of the stolen perfume products is estimated to be over $2 million. The defendants were arrested in May 2018 attempting to break into another perfume warehouse in East Brunswick, New Jersey.
The count of conspiring to transport stolen property in interstate commerce carries a maximum penalty five years in prison; the count of transportations of stolen property in interstate commerce carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Both charges also carry a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offenses, whichever is greatest. Sentencing for all five defendants is scheduled for Sept. 27, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and officers with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark; officers of the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief Tom Bryan; officers of the East Brunswick Police Department, under the direction of Chief Frank LoSacco; and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, with the investigation leading to today’s convictions.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Amore of the National Security Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy P. Shaughnessy of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.