North Jersey Couple Charged In Shoplifting Resale Enterprise: Police

WEST MILFORD, NJ - Two Passaic County residents were arrested last month in connection with a shoplifting and online resale enterprise, authorities said.

Ali Soto, 42, and his girlfriend Vickiana Colon, 36, both of North Haledon, were arrested on Dec. 14, 2022 after an investigation found the duo would pay several individuals to shoplift items from large retail stores and subsequently sell those items online, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, West Milford Township Police Chief James Devore and North Haledon Police Chief Todd Darby said in a joint statement.

During the arrest, officers located numerous suspected stolen items in the pair’s home, officials said.

Soto is charged with one count of leader of an organized retail theft enterprise, one count of theft, one count of forgery and related offenses.

Colon is charged with one count of leader of an organized retail theft enterprise, one count of theft, one count of receiving stolen property, one count of forgery, one count of financial facilitation of criminal activity and related charges.

The charges stem from a June 6 tip to the West Milford Township Police Department of a theft and forgery of a retirement check, police said. It wasn’t immediately clear which stores were targeted by the alleged scheme.

Soto and Colon appeared in Central Judicial Processing Court and were released.

“This investigation and execution of the warrants would not have been a success without the invaluable help from the US Postal Inspection Service and the Passaic County Sheriff's CSI Unit,” Valdes, Devore and Darby said.

The West Milford Township Police Department asks anyone with additional information about this incident or other incidents regarding this individual to contact the department at 1-877-370-PCPO.