Former Levittown Man Was Part Of Million Dollar Theft Ring: Feds

LEVITTOWN, NY — A former Levittown man was part of a million dollar theft ring that broke into car dealerships, mobile phone stores, and check cashing businesses — often breaking into multiple locations in one night and leading the police on high speed chases — in New York, Connecticut and elsewhere, federal prosecutors said.

In a 13-count indictment unsealed Tuesday Justin J. Herrera, 21, a former Levittown resident who recently moved to Florida, was charged with one count of conspiracy to possess and transport stolen vehicles and property, which carries a maximum five-year prison term, Leonard C. Boyle, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced in a news release Tuesday.

Herrera was also charged with various counts of transportation of a stolen vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, transportation of stolen property and possession of stolen property, which carry a maximum term of 10 years on each count, Boyle said.

Charged along with him was Joseph Y. Cartagena, 25, Alexander J. Santiago, 26, and Douglas Noble, 27, all of the Bronx, Boyle said.

Herrera, Cartagena, Santiago, and Noble were responsible for over 130 burglaries — stealing car key fobs and cars from car dealerships, cell phones, electronics and other merchandise from cell phone stores and ATM machines from check cashing businesses, prosecutors said. They would then then move the stolen goods back to New York, often escaping from police by leading them on high-speed chases, which were terminated for safety reasons, prosecutors said.

Boyle made the announcement of the arrests along with David Sundberg, special agent-in-charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Back in December, Cartagena dropped a firearm and was able to escape from FBI agents executing a search warrant by ramming multiple FBI vehicles with a stolen car, but he was apprehended the same night after an all-day search, prosecutors said. A search of his home “revealed hundreds of thousands of dollars of suspected stolen merchandise, more than 30 vehicle key fobs, various license plates, 9mm ammunition, and about $89,000 in cash,” prosecutors said.

In January, Santiago’s pit bull attacked an FBI agent and badly wounded his arm during a search of his home, prosecutors said. A search of his home found about 20 new cell phones in boxes, about 40 car key fobs, a police radio, a glass-punch device, two firearms “and a substantial amount of ammunition,” prosecutors said.

Herrera was arrested at his home in Florida and was later released on bond, according to Boyle’s office. Noble, who surrendered on Tuesday, but Cartagena and Santiago are still being detained, Boyle’s office said.

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI and Connecticut State Police, along with “numerous local police departments,” prosecutors said.