Man Sentenced To 30 Months For Tri-State Burglaries, Including 2 In Paramus

PARAMUS, N.J. — A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for his role in a string of commercial burglaries in the tri-state area including two in Paramus, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Jose Medina, 40, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Mary L. Cooper to transporting stolen goods in interstate commerce and conspiring to do the same. Cooper imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

Medina admitted that from October 2012 through August 2014, he conspired with his brother, Eliezer, 38, and others to steal money from stores in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania and took the stolen money across state lines, Fishman said.

The conspiracy involved taking more than $480,000 during 22 burglaries, including two from Paramus stores totaling $90,000, Fishman said: $50,000 from Home Depot and $40,000 from Burlington Coat Factory. More than $200,000 was stolen from a Restaurant Depot in Pensauken. The rest of the burglaries occurred in Pennsylvania, including 15 in the city of Lancaster.

The conspirators would scout locations in advance, disable alarms systems, and use pry-bars, electrical saws, and other tools to enter the stores, Fishman said.

In addition to the prison term, Cooper sentenced Medina to two years of supervised release and ordered him to pay back $487,000.

Eliezer Medina pleaded guilty in July 2015 to his role in the scheme. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

Paramus police officers assisted federal authorities with the investigation of the burglaries.

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