SAN JOSE – A 19-year-old Pittsburg man has been charged in reference to two smash-and-grab burglaries of a South Bay sneaker retailer late final 12 months, prosecutors stated.
Gregory Jefferson was set to be arraigned Tuesday on prices associated to organized retail theft, industrial housebreaking, grand theft, possession of stolen property and assault weapons, the Santa Clara County District Lawyer’s Workplace stated in a information launch.
Prosecutors stated Jefferson was amongst a gaggle of 18 individuals who compelled their manner into the Repair Kicks retailer on the Santa Clara City Focus on 1 a.m. on Nov. 23.
The suspects used a 9mm firearm to interrupt into the shop and stole $80,000 price of merchandise, prosecutors stated. 5 days later, a gaggle of 28 folks allegedly sawed by a metallic gate and stole $112,000 price of merchandise from the shop.
Repair Kicks was compelled to vary its enterprise mannequin because of the burglaries, prosecutors stated.
“Since November, the shop has closed the retail location and is barely conducting on-line gross sales,” prosecutors stated.
Santa Clara police Detective Adam Wilson investigated the smash-and-grab burglaries and recognized Jefferson as an “lively participant” in each of them, prosecutors stated.
Jefferson was arrested this month in Pittsburg. Inside his dwelling, officers discovered 30 packing containers of high-end sneakers, clothes and hangars with the shop’s title on them, prosecutors stated.
“In addition they seized a ‘ghost gun’ assault weapon with a 30-round journal loaded with ammunition,” prosecutors stated. Ghost weapons would not have serial numbers and can't be traced.
In an announcement, Santa Clara County District Lawyer Jeff Rosen famous that organized retail thefts within the Bay Space obtained vital consideration over the vacations.
“Now,” he stated, “I hope there will likely be consideration on the decided and ongoing efforts of legislation enforcement to cease, arrest, and prosecute them.”