Cops: Brothers Operated Illegal Store Stocked with $50,000 in Stolen Goods

The arrest of three men accused of being part of a theft ring that operated out of the Rite Aid warehouse in Fairless Hills led to the discovery of an “illegally run store” in Philadelphia, Falls Township police officials said late Friday afternoon.

LevittownNow.com first reported Friday that Philadelphia residents Juan Agosto, 36; Edwin Burgos, 36; and Miguel Ortiz, 40, were arrested Thursday morning on charges of theft, conspiracy and receiving stolen property.

Police said Rite Aid truck driver Ortiz sold at least $2,000 in stolen items taken from his tractor-trailer to Agosto and Burgos for about $400 shortly before 3 a.m. Thursday. Court papers say the two met Ortiz and bought various products from the Rite Aid truck.

Click here to read about the initial arrest

Lt. Hank Ward said suspects Agosto and Burgos operated the well-stocked store that was located in the basement of a row home on North Seventh Street in Philadelphia. Officials said they believe the theft ring went on for a while but were not sure the exact amount of time.

Agosto and Burgos, who are brothers, operated the illegal store stocked with stolen products like any other drug store. The basement where the operation ran out of had surveillance cameras to ironically catch thieves and was “fortified” to prevent break-ins, police said.

When detectives from Falls, the Philadelphia Police Department’s Major Crimes Squad and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office raided the basement store of the brothers, they discovered the store and an estimated $50,000 in stolen goods.

Ward said police got lucky and found the brothers had kept documentation and surveillance video from the illegal store.

Detectives spent much of Thursday and Friday collecting evidence and stolen Rite Aid merchandise from the illegal store.

On Friday afternoon, police drove a yellow rental truck outside the Falls government complex and showed the media all of the recovered items. Some of the stolen goods included winter jackets, beach umbrellas, baby dippers, candy, paper towels, shampoo and dozens of other types of household items.

Ward said detectives from both Falls and the city are working together and more charges could be coming in connection to the case.

When asked if customers who bought the items from the illegal shop would be prosecuted, Ward said those prosecutions would be up to Philadelphia authorities.

“I find it hard to think any one would believe this operation was legit,” he added.

Rite Aid first noticed items from Ortiz’s route  were  missing and a tip from a citizen lead to further investigation.

Police said this the first theft ring of its size that has been uncovered in Falls.

The three suspects were all sent to Bucks County prison on 10 percent of $75,000 bail. On Friday, Agosto was able to post $7,500 bail.

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.