A Patchogue man was sentenced Monday to up to 9 years in prison for overseeing the theft of nearly $2 million in merchandise from Long Island big box stores that was then sold in his Brentwood pawnshop.
Carlos Ulloa, 51, pleaded guilty in September to enterprise corruption, money laundering and criminal possession of a weapon for leading the theft ring that started May 14, 2020 and continued until Suffolk County police broke it up on Aug. 6, 2022. Police at that time seized about $1 million worth of merchandise from Ulloa’s home and more than $968,000 in proceeds from sales of the stolen items, in addition to a handgun.
Prosecutors said Ulloa, the owner of EZ Cash Pawn & Jewelry in Brentwood, had four accomplices, all of whom pleaded guilty to theft charges. His accomplices, including the pawnshop’s manager, Sandra Hinds, received about five truckloads of stolen merchandise, including flat-screen TVs, appliances, expensive handbags and wristwatches, authorities said.
The items had been stolen from retailers including Home Depot, Lowe’s, Macy’s and Target, and were stored at an East Patchogue warehouse leased by Ulloa.
Authorities said the pawnshop would photograph the items, which would then be sold online.
Some of the merchandise officials said was stolen from Long Island big box stores as part of a theft ring operated out of Carlos Ulloa’s Brentwood pawnshop.
Credit: John Roca
“We will protect our businesses and the jobs that come with a thriving business community. Here, our Suffolk County Police detectives did not simply catch and release these low-level boosters. Instead, they followed them to uproot the entire stolen goods operation,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a news release. “As a result, this ringleader was held responsible with a serious prison sentence, a ban on his returning to the pawn business, and forfeiture of nearly $2 million in stolen goods and criminal proceeds.”
Ulloa was ordered to surrender…
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