Home Economy Government 2 R.I. men arrested in multimillion-dollar retail theft crime ring probe

2 R.I. men arrested in multimillion-dollar retail theft crime ring probe

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PBN Staff

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09/16/2024

TWO RHODE ISLAND men have been arrested and accused of leading an organized retail theft crime ring that targeted retailers nationwide. / COURTESY U.S. DISTRICT COURT

PROVIDENCE – Two Rhode Island men have been arrested and charged with taking part in an organized retail theft crime ring that targeted retailers nationwide, U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island Zachary A. Cunha said on Monday. Norman L. Cipriano, 52, of Warwick, and Patrick M. Vigneau, 59, of Cranston, were charged in federal court with

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PROVIDENCE – Two Rhode Island men have been arrested and charged with taking part in an organized retail theft crime ring that targeted retailers nationwide, U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island Zachary A. Cunha said on Monday. Norman L. Cipriano, 52, of Warwick, and Patrick M. Vigneau, 59, of Cranston, were charged in federal court with interstate transportation of stolen goods, conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen goods, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity. The men were arrested following the seizure of approximately 60,000 stolen items, primarily over-the-counter pharmaceutical products and cosmetics worth an estimated $1.6 million. “The scale of the retail theft network whose alleged leaders we have charged today is staggering,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. “In addition to imposing higher prices on legitimate retail consumers, theft rings like this one put unsuspecting customers at risk from damaged, expired, or adulterated goods, and impose untold economic costs. Today’s arrests and the disruption of this network reflect the kind of tenacity and dedication that this office and our partners will continue to bring to bear to combat this type of brazen criminality.” Cipriano and Vigneau are accused of being high-level wholesalers known within organized theft rings as diverters, who often set up shell companies, own warehouses where stolen merchandise is shipped and act as suppliers for small to midsize retail chains. According to court documents the defendants, allegedly operating under the names of various shell companies, and working with others, sold large volumes of stolen merchandise via e-commerce sites such as eBay, Walmart, and Amazon. In order to avoid detection, unregulated third-party processors, such as PayPal, were used, tied to bank accounts controlled by the defendants. To date, agents and task force officers from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Warwick Police Department have executed multiple search warrants in Warwick, Cranston and Pawtucket and have seized enough stolen goods to fill three fully loaded 24-foot box trucks. Authorities have also moved to freeze several bank and e-commerce accounts, and have seized more than two dozen boxes in transit via UPS. It is alleged that the Rhode Island-based organized retail crime theft has netted roughly $12.3 million in sales over the last three years. According to court records, Cipriano was convicted in Rhode Island state court in 2005 and served a term of six years of incarceration for conspiracy and receiving stolen goods. Additionally, Cipriano was convicted in federal court in August 2013 on a charge of trafficking counterfeit goods and was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison. Vigneau, convicted by a federal jury in March 1998 on charges of engaging in a continuing enterprise, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and conspiring to commit money laundering, was released from federal prison in 2020 and is currently serving a term of federal supervised release.