Brick Couple Turned Home Into Stolen Merchandise Warehouse: Prosecutor

BRICK, NJ — A Brick Township couple exploited a weakness in the website of a home improvement company to order merchandise and have it shipped to their home without paying for it, only to then sell it at a fraction of the original price, and have been arrested, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato and Brick Township Police Chief James Riccio said in a joint announcement.

Romela Velazquez, 24, and Kimy Velazquez, 40, had enough merchandise to fill an 18-foot trailer, and their home looked more like a warehouse than a house when a search warrant was executed, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor's office, with authorities recovering more than $12,000 in stolen property that included an aluminum gazebo, a 70-inch Vizio television and $2,500 worth of Victoria's Secret underwear.

Brick Township police were contacted by a Lowe's organized retail crime manager who alleged Romela Velazquez was knowingly and purposely exploiting weaknesses in its website to have items shipped to her home without paying for them, Della Fave said. Authorities allege she then posted several of the stolen items to a local Facebook Group "Buy and Sell" page, often listing the items as "New In Box" and for less than half their original price, he said.

A search warrant was executed at her Harding Drive home on Aug. 3, and the items the detectives recovered included:

• stainless steel Weber grill
• aluminum gazebo
• Honda lawn mower
• LG portable air conditioner
• Dewalt power washer
• Multiple boxes of Ugg shoes
• 70-inch Vizio LED smart TV
• Sony stereo surround-sound system with four speakers
• Nikon D5000 camera
• 3 Dyson ball vacuum cleaners
• Multiple boxes of furniture (not put together)
• Approximately $2,500 Victoria's Secret underwear

Many of the items were recovered new in their boxes or with their tags still on them, Della Fave said.

Romela Velazquez has been charged with second-degree computer criminal activity for accessing a computer system with the purpose to defraud; second-degree theft by deception for attempting to obtain merchandise totaling approximately $258,068.01 (pre-tax); and third-degree theft by deception for the receipt of approximately $12,971.23 (pre-tax) worth of merchandise without payment, he said.

For his role in the fraud scheme, Kimy Velazquez (Romela's husband), was charged with third-degree receipt of stolen property and third-degree fencing, Della Fave said.

In accordance with the revised New Jersey Bail Reform guidelines, Kimy Velazquez was charged and released on a summons pending a future court date. Romela Velazquez was taken into custody under the warrant issued and released on Aug. 4 after her first appearance hearing pending a future court date, he said.

The investigation by Brick police and the Special Investigations Unit of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office continues in an effort to identify other victimized retailers, which may result in additional charges, he said.

Photos: Kimy and Romela Velazquez, via Division of Motor Vehicles, provided by the Prosecutor's Office