One Man Charged and Another Man Sentenced to Prison for Roles in $2 Million Theft

CAMDEN, N.J. - A Philadelphia man was charged for his role in stealing $2 million from a Glassboro business, and another Philadelphia man was sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment for his role in the same theft, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Ruben Cruz, 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as Davenport, Florida, was charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to transport stolen property, transportation of stolen property, and conspiracy to launder money. He made his initial appearance and was arraigned yesterday in Camden federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal.

Ricky Rivas-Ortiz, 43, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania previously pleaded guilty to an information charging him with transporting stolen property. U.S. District Judge Christine P. O'Hearn sentenced Rivas-Ortiz earlier today in Camden federal court to 21 months' imprisonment and two years of supervised release to follow his term of imprisonment.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Over the 2021 July 4^th holiday weekend, Cruz and Rivas-Ortiz burglarized a Glassboro business, stealing a safe that contained more than $2 million in money orders and cash. After the burglary, Cruz and another co-conspirator proceeded to negotiate money orders from the stolen safe in a manner designed to conceal their control of the money orders. One method they used to launder the proceeds was depositing the stolen money orders in piecemeal fashion. For example, Cruz deposited some of the stolen money orders on the same day at different banks that were next door to each other and deposited other stolen money orders at the same bank branch over several consecutive days.

For Cruz, the count of conspiracy to transport stolen property carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. The count of transportation of stolen property carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. The count of conspiracy to launder money carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the value of the laundered money, whichever is greatest.

The charges and allegations contained in the superseding indictment against Cruz are merely accusations, and Cruz is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, and agents of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to these charges and this sentence. He also thanked the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Andrew B. Johns, and the Elk Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Lance Hitzelberger, for their valuable assistance in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Camden.

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Defense counsel:

Rivas-Ortiz: Claressa Lowe, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender.

Cruz: Brian O'Malley, Haddon Township, New Jersey.