3 arrested for allegedly stealing thousands from local store
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AMMON — Three TJ Maxx employees allegedly stole thousands of dollars in merchandise in a scheme foiled by the corporate office.
According to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by EastIdahoNews.com, a Bonneville County Sheriff’s deputy visited the store on Oct. 9 after the district loss prevention manager in Utah became suspicious of three employees stealing items from the store.
All three of the employees admitted to management and deputies to stealing or helping steal items over several months. The exact amount taken remains unknown but could be upwards of $6,000.
Lissette Galvan, 18, Sonia Castro, 20 and Angel Cisneros-Ambers, 19, are charged with felony grand theft for their alleged involvement in the scheme.
When detectives spoke with the corporate loss prevention manager, she said the trio would ring each other up at the register and void some of the items. Additionally, several items in the reported thefts were placed into bags without being scanned.
Castro and Cisneros-Ambers told investigators they had been stealing the items for about four months, according to court documents. Investigators wrote Castro told them she witnessed others stealing items from the store and then joined in.
“Sonia said they reported it to management and loss prevention but nothing happened,” the probable cause reads. “(When she) noticed the other associates not getting in trouble for stealing they started … stealing items.”
According to court documents, Galvan admitted to stealing for eight of the 15 months she worked at the store. She told investigators she, Castro and Cisneros-Ambers were the only ones involved in the thefts.
Early calculations from deputies show Galvan’s total involvement included $6,000 in merchandise, Castro’s was $5,000 and Cisneros-Ambers came in around $1,200. The amounts include items they either stole themselves or helped others take from the store, so overlap between the three could be possible.
All three were arrested and booked into the Bonneville County Jail. They were released on their own recognizance and are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 23.