Yoel Andres Barrera Garrido, Burglary, Rhode Island 2024

PROVIDENCE, RI – A sweeping, multi-state burglary ring that primarily targeted business owners of Asian descent has led to the arrest and arraignment of Yoel Andres Barrera Garrido, 20, of New York.

Barrera Garrido, a Chilean national, was arrested in Grove City, OH, on March 11, 2024. He had been sought since December 13, 2023, when a federal indictment was returned against him; he was subsequently charged in a superseding indictment on April 3, 2024, charging him with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and two counts of attempt to commit interstate transportation of stolen property.

It is alleged that Barrera Garrido participated in a conspiracy with three other individuals to identify and surveil business owners, typically of Asian descent, at the victims’ residences and businesses. Members of the conspiracy then allegedly executed well-planned burglaries at their victims’ homes in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Wisconsin, and Florida, typically targeting large sums of money, jewelry, credit and debit cards, and other valuable items.

As alleged in charging documents, in addition to surveilling individuals, the conspirators used drones and GPS trackers placed on vehicles to monitor victim’s movement and identify times when they were away from their residences. They are also alleged to have used drones and lookouts to monitor law enforcement activity, and to have had a getaway car and driver at the ready while other conspirators broke into and burglarized the residences.

Barrera Garrido was ordered detained on Thursday following his return to Rhode Island and arraignment in U.S. District Court.

Other alleged members of the conspiracy, Mohammed Islam, 29, of Stamford, CT, a Bangladesh national, Basneyareth Rebollar Martinez, of Stamford, CT, a Mexican national, and Tania Valentina Espitia Cuellar, 24, a Columbian national whose local home address is unknown, have pleaded guilty in this matter and are detained while awaiting sentencing.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ly T. Chin and Julianne Klein.

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