Police have arrested four men in multiple burglaries that occurred throughout Nassau County from July to October, including one in Greenvale.
Officials say the South American Theft Group has committed multiple coordinated burglaries across the East Coast. Members of the group have been under police surveillance since April.
The defendants, Mario Roberto Munoz-Acevedo, 51; Juan Daniel Leiva Sepulveda, 38; Juan Lopez Gonzalez, 34; and Matias Ignacio Brito Baragano, 25, all live at 142-37 60th Ave. in Flushing.
Police suspected the South American Theft Group of burglarizing two jewelry stores at 55 Northern Blvd. in Greenvale July 31 and 195 Atlantic Ave. in Freeport July 4 as well as in other burglaries in the area.
Subjects disabled the power meters of the targeted jewelry stores while carrying out the burglaries, which affected the CCTV equipment and alarm systems, police say.
“They waited for the backup batteries to lose power, then later returned to the jewelry stores and committed the burglaries undetected, using commercial-grade power tools and equipment to gain entry into locked doors and break into safes,” the announcement said. “Detectives discovered that multiple vehicles and cell phones were used to conduct counter-surveillance in an attempt to avoid detection from law enforcement.”
Munoz-Acevedo was charged with $570,000 in jewelry store burglaries. He faces two counts of third-degree burglary. He was arraigned Nov. 12 and is being held on bail, a $100,000 bond over $50,000 cash, with his next court appearance scheduled for Nov. 15.
Munoz-Acevedo attempted to enter the United States on multiple occasions in August 2021 but was turned away at the Mexican border, police say. The defendant allegedly used an alias and entered illegally at an unknown time.
Police apprehended Sepulveda and Gonzalez Oct. 7 at 8:07 p.m. for a burglary at an Albert Place residence in Lawrence.
Sepulveda faces a charge of second-degree burglary. He was arraigned Nov. 12 and is being held on bail of $100,000 bond over $50,000 cash. His next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 15.
Sepulveda entered the United States by vehicle through Mexico around Feb. 3, 2020, police say. The defendant is considered a visa overstay.
Gonzalez faces a charge of second-degree burglary. He was arraigned Nov. 12 and is being held on bail of $40,000 bond over $20,000 cash. His next scheduled appearance is Nov. 15.
Gonzalez was arrested with a fraudulent Mexican driver’s license and Mexican federal election card, according to police. The defendant allegedly entered the country illegally.
Baragano was arrested on a warrant issued by Volusia County, Fla. He was also discovered to own a forged Argentina passport, which he used to fly into Miami International Airport. He has been remanded to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office pending extradition.