One of Three Arrested in Connection to Organized Retail Theft from Ralphs Grocery Stores Due in Court

Charles Jeffrey Cherry was one of three arrested in connection to organized retail crime at a local Ralphs distribution center. Image courtesy: Riverside Police Department.

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One of three men accused of stealing goods from a Ralphs distribution center in Riverside is slated to be arraigned Thursday.

Charles Jeffrey Cherry, 48, of Colton was arrested in early February following an investigation that allegedly uncovered evidence that he, 58-year- old Froilan Lopez Garcia of Menifee and 34-year-old Dean Thompson of Temecula had stolen products altogether valued at more than $1 million.

Thompson has pleaded not guilty; Garcia is scheduled to be arraigned in May. All three defendants are free on bond.

According to Riverside police, the Ralphs grocery chain initiated an internal investigation in June 2014 after documenting instances in which food and other goods had been removed from the company’s Riverside distribution center. It’s believed the thefts went on for months before they were discovered.

Detectives from the Riverside police Organized Retail Crime Division were eventually contacted and picked up the investigation, ultimately identifying Cherry, Garcia and Thompson as the alleged perpetrators.

Search warrants served at each man’s residence resulted in the seizure of $20,000 in stolen merchandise, police alleged.

The defendants are accused of using an Internet portal -- not identified -- to sell products, at one point racking up $80,000 in sales, according to the police department.

It was not disclosed which of the defendants worked for the grocery chain.

– By City News Service.