Charges reduced for three employees accused of stealing thousands from local store
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IDAHO FALLS — Prosecutors reduced charges as part of plea agreements for three TJ Maxx employees accused of stealing thousands of dollars of merchandise.
Amended charging documents show Lissette Galvan, 18, Sonia Castro, 20 and Angel Cisneros-Ambers, 19, are charged with misdemeanor petit theft for their alleged involvement in the scheme, unraveled by the company’s district loss prevention manager in Utah. The trio was originally charged with felony grand theft after the employees admitted to management and Bonneville County Sheriff deputies to stealing or helping steal items over several months. The exact amount taken remains unknown but could be upwards of $6,000, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Galvan, Castro and Cisneros-Ambers were scheduled for preliminary hearings on Wednesday to determine if prosecutors had enough evidence to move the previously felony cases to the district court. The plea agreements reducing the charges came before the hearing. Since the three are now charged with misdemeanors, the cases will stay at the magistrate level.
“Our office made this agreement based upon consultation with the victim and their input as well as the age and lack of prior record of the defendants,” Bonneville County Prosecutor Daniel Clark told EastIdahoNews.com.
According to court documents, 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. The three admitted to their participation in interviews with detectives.
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.
The three are scheduled to appear in court to change their plea before a judge on separate dates in December.