EUGENE, Ore.— Four Columbian nationals unlawfully residing in the United States were sentenced to federal prison yesterday for a multi-state burglary conspiracy that targeted Asian American business owners in Oregon and Washington. Following the federal hearings, the defendants were also sentenced in their state court cases based on the targeted burglaries.
- Derinson Martinez-Grandas, 34, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison and 10 months in state prison;
- Jhon Alexander Quintero, 45, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and 15 months in state prison;
- Steven Alexander Quiroga-Solano, 28, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and 18 months in state prison; and
- William Estiven Rodriguez-Gaviria, 27, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison and 10 months in state prison.
Each defendant was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit the stolen proceeds as well as the devices used to coordinate the burglaries.
The defendants traveled from California and proceeded through Nevada, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. In Washington and Oregon, they identified burglary victims by using the internet to research potential Asian American targets and their businesses. They stayed in short-term rentals and identified and surveilled their burglary targets, who were all Asian American small business owners. They then performed reconnaissance on the victims’ residences.
When they carried out the burglaries, the defendants employed signal jamming technology, perimeter countersurveillance, and communicated on seven-way group calls. They then entered their victims’ homes by shattering glass doors. Once inside, they ransacked residences, stealing United States and foreign currency, jewelry, designer handbags, purses, wallets, travel documents, and other valuables. After the burglaries, the crew returned to their short-term rental to package the proceeds for transport, transfer, or transmittal back to California and Colombia.
Following a burglary in Salem, Oregon, detectives learned that the defendants returned to their rental in Eugene, Oregon, and executed a search warrant at the rental that night. Investigators recovered money and property, believed to be stolen from the various residences, more than a dozen cell phones, believed to be used by the burglary crew, evidence of money wires to Bogota, Colombia, and various Colombian travel documentation, including passports.