Woodbury Business Owner Sentenced In Stolen-Goods Racket

A Woodbury business owner will spend six months in jail and pay $750,000 in restitution following his sentencing in federal court on Tuesday.

Christopher Allen Janota, 43, was involved in a stolen-goods scam, according to a release from the Minnesota district of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Janota’s co-conspirators stole products from retail stores in Minnesota and other states and sold the stolen goods to his Woodbury-based company, according to the release.

Janota then sold the merchandise to third parties through the Internet and shipped them via the U.S. mail, the release says. The nine co-conspirators already have .

The and U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, with assistance from the loss-prevention departments at and .

Janota got six months in jail and six months of home confinement on one count of conspiracy to transport stolen property, according to the release. He was also ordered to pay more than $750,000 in restitution, representing the value of the stolen property. He was charged on Dec. 23, 2010, and pleaded guilty on Jan. 27, 2011.

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