Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest of several individuals allegedly involved in a multi-county organized retail theft ring targeting beauty and fragrance products while speaking in Miami this week.
The alleged defendants are Naychel Alvarez Jerez, John Kevin Romero, Josue Rego Romero, Albert Mario Socorro Alvarez, Jose Carlos Perez Salgado, and Antonio Perez Torres on charges including conspiracy to commit racketeering.
They were also charged with various other crimes, including conspiracy to commit dealing in stolen property, dealing in stolen property, organized retail theft, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device.
Another alleged defendant, Lissette Rodriguez, was charged with conspiracy to commit dealing in stolen property and unlawful use of a two-way communications device
Some of the individuals face 80 years in prison.
“This was a coordinated criminal enterprise that robbed retailers across Florida and turned stolen goods into illicit proceeds,” Uthmeier said in a release. “We will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to protect Florida businesses, keep prices low for consumers, and quickly dismantle organized retail theft rings from the ground up.”
According to the release, the alleged criminal ring targeted CVS, Walgreens, Publix, Burlington, and Ulta Beauty stores in central, west, and South Florida, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in losses between November 2024 and the summer of 2025.
Collectively known as "boosters," the shoplifters would travel to the department stores and fill bags with health and beauty merchandise before selling the items to Jerez, who was a fencer (buyer and seller of stolen goods) in the scheme.
Jerez would then resell the items online on OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace, according to investigators. Authorities later found nearly 124,000 worth of health and beauty merchandise, anti-theft removal devices, a cash counting machine, and over $51,000 in cash after executing a search warrant at Jerez's home.
The investigation was led by several law enforcement partners, including the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, and the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office.
“Organized retail theft is not just about stolen merchandise; it is about coordinated criminal activity that impacts families, small businesses, and our entire community,” Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie-Cordero-Stutz said.
“This investigation demonstrates the strength of our partnerships across jurisdictions and our shared commitment to holding those who engage in organized criminal enterprises accountable. In Miami-Dade County and throughout Florida, we will continue working with our state and local partners to identify these networks, disrupt their operations, and ensure they face the full consequences under the law," Cordero-Stutz added.
Uthmeier has announced several arrests for organized retail theft just in the past few months, including in February of a Palm Beach man targeting numerous Target stores from Orlando to Miami.
