Two More Plead Guilty In 'Willy Wonka' Crime Ring

SALEM, MA -- Two more men pleaded guilty Monday to charges in what officials now believe is one of the biggest crime rings in the state's history. Nelson "Pito" Rodriguez, 43, and Ignacio "Iggy" Duran, 41, were part of a crime ring led by William "Willy Wonka" Rodriguez, which was broken up this summer in an investigation dubbed "Operation Golden Ticket" that involved 50 law enforcement organizations in four states.

Nelson Rodriguez had originally been charged with 44 counts, including 2 counts of conspiracy, trafficking in fentanyl over 10 grams, 6 counts of possessing burglarious tools, 9 counts of breaking and entering in the night to commit a felony, 7 counts of breaking into a safe or depository, 7 counts of receiving stolen motor vehicle, subsequent offense, 6 counts of larceny, and receiving stolen property.

Duran was charged with 10 counts, including 2 counts of conspiracy, possessing burglarious tools, 2 counts of breaking and entering in the night to commit a felony, 2 counts of breaking into a safe or depository, receiving stolen motor vehicle, larceny, and resisting arrest.

William Rodriguez, who also went by the name "Chocolate Man," reached a plea agreement with prosecutors last month. He is scheduled to be in court Wednesday for sentencing and is facing 8 to 12 years in prison after entering guilty pleas. Another man, Chepiel "Chep" Sanchez, has also pleaded guilty to the original indictments.

Both men are expected to plead guilty to additional charges Wednesday, which were handed down in new indictments on October 24. With the new charges, the two men will have admitted to 38 commercial burglaries in four states, making it one of the largest burglary prosecutions in the state, according to the Essex County District Attorney's office.

The fifth suspect, Marilyn Santago, 38, of Lawrence, was charged with two counts of being an accessory after the fact to a felony and conspiracy.

In August, authorities released details of the six-month investigation that led to the arrest of Rodriguez and four other suspects. They presented evidence of 17 commercial and ATM burglaries and 12 car thefts for a total of more than $300,000 in stolen goods in four states.

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Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).