More Than 1/2 Million Lbs. Of Clothing Donated To Charity, Worth $200K, Stolen On Long Island: Police

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Sixteen people are facing 98 felony charges after stealing more than a half million lbs. of donated clothing worth nearly $200,000, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

They systematically stole the donated clothing from charity bins across Suffolk County, Tierney said.

The charges include grand larceny, burglary and conspiracy stemming from 70 incidents between November 2024 and September 2025, Tierney said.

The investigation identified two separate criminal operations, one spearheaded by Alfredo Perez, 67, of Copiague, and the other by Manuel Cabrera, 62, of Lindenhurst, the DA said.

Investigators seized a total of 14 vehicles that were used to carry out the pattern of thefts — and recovered an estimated 25,000 lbs. of stolen clothing, the DA said.

According to the investigation, between November 2024 and September 2025, Perez and Cabrera each separately conspired with runners, comprised of a total of seven charged individuals, to burglarize donation bins on hundreds of occasions, Tierney said.

Perez's runners Kevin Molina, Alexander Quinteros, Omar Rosasaravia, Luis Castillo Ramos, and two juveniles each had specific routes and worked long hours overnight to engage in a pattern of thefts of used clothing donations across Suffolk County, targeting clothing donation bins owned and operated by multiple organizations, including the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a local and international charity, Tierney said.

Perez is the owner of multiple Ford Econoline vans, which he and his co-conspirators reportedly drove around Suffolk County on more than 100 different occasions, making stops at multiple clothing donation bins, the DA said.

When they arrived, one of the crew members would shove himself into the bin through the "donation port," the DA said. Once inside, bags containing clothing donations were passed to an accomplice waiting outside, who would then load them into one of Perez's waiting vans, the DA said.

On more than 70 occasions during the same time period, Perez's vans reportedly travelled to a used clothing export business located in Nassau County, the DA said.

On those occasions, more than 285,000 lbs. of stolen clothing were sold to the exporter and in exchange, Perez received payments in excess of $100,000, Tierney said.

Cabrera also reportedly owned multiple Ford Econoline vans, which co-conspirator Rodriguez Martinez and other presently unidentified co-conspirators drove around Suffolk County for hours at a time on more than 100 different occasions, the DA said.

During those trips around Suffolk County, Cabrera's co-conspirators made stops at multiple clothing donation bins and, like Perez's crew, would physically climb into the bin through the "donation port," the DA said.

Once inside, bags containing clothing donations were passed to an accomplice waiting outside, who would then load them into one of Cabrera's waiting vans, Tierney said. On more than 100 occasions during the same time period, Cabrera's vans travelled to the exporter, where more than 280,000 lbs. of stolen clothing were sold, Tierney said.

In exchange, CAbrera received payments in excess of $90,000, the DA said.

While investigating the Perez and Cabrera crews, investigators identified the remaining seven individuals who also stole clothing from donation bins, but not as part of the Perez or Cabrera crews, the DA said.

Elix Castillo Ramos, Emerson Castillo Ramos, Jaime Vallejos Saenz, Yuri Palomino Yllisca, Yunior Ipinasuchite, Alexi Zelaya Cruz, and Denis Sarmiento Vincente also utilized vehicles to drive to clothing donation bins located in Suffolk County, aid an accomplice in physically climbing inside of the bin, and then steal clothing from inside before fleeing in a waiting vehicle, Tierney said.

On September 28, Perez was arraigned before District Court Judge John Zollo on charges including one count of second-degree grand larceny, a Class C felony; 10 counts of third-degree burglary, Class D felonies, and one count of fourth-degree conspiracy, a Class E felony, the DA said.

Judge Zollo ordered Perez held on $10,000 cash, $30,000 bond or $100,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case, Tierney said. Perez is due back in court on Wednesday and he is being represented by Margie Coello-Lorenzotti.

Perez reportedly conspired with Kevin Molina, two juveniles, Alexander Quinteros, Omar Rosasaravia and Luis Castillo Ramos in order to carry out the thefts, Tierney said.

Perez's co-conspirators were arrested and charged as follows, the DA said: On October 1, Molina, 35, of Wyandanch, was arraigned before District Court Judge Evan Tanenbaum on charges including 16 counts of third-degree burglary, Class D felonies, and one count of fourth-degree conspiracy, a Class E felony, Tierney said.

Judge Tanenbaum ordered Molina to be placed on supervised release; he is due back in court on October 28, and he is being represented by Christopher Gioe.

On September 28, 2025, the first juvenile, 17, of Wyandanch, was arraigned before Judge Zollo on charges including 11 counts of third-degree burglary, Class D felonies, and one count of fourth-degree conspiracy, a Class E felony, Tierney said.

Judge Zollo ordered the juvenile held on $10,000 cash, $30,000 bond or $100,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case, the DA said. However, Judge Karen Kerr ordered the bail removed and placed the teen on supervised release, the DA said.; the juvenile is due back in court on October 17, and is being represented by Lois Rowman.

Pursuant to New York State law, the names of the juveniles are not disclosed.

On September 28, Quintero, 25, of Wyandanch, was arraigned before Judge Zollo on charges including two counts of third-degree burglary, Class D felonies, and one count of fourth-degree conspiracy, a Class E felony, Tierney said.

Judge Zollo ordered Quinteros held on $10,000 cash, $30,000 bond or $100,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case, the DA said. Quinteros is due back in court on October 15, and he is being represented by Oscar Crisafio.

On September 29, the second juvenile, 17, of Brentwood, was arraigned before Acting County Court Judge Karen Kerr on charges including eight counts of third-degree burglary, Class D felonies, and one count of fourth-degree conspiracy, a Class E felony, Tierney said.

Judge Kerr ordered the juvenile placed on supervised release during the pendency of the case, the DA said; the juvenile is due back in court on October 27 and is being represented by Eric Von Cernowicz.

On September 28, Rosasaravia, 25, a Salvadoran national, was arraigned before Judge Zollo on charges including six counts of third-degree burglary, Class D felonies, and one count of fourth-degree conspiracy, a Class E felony, Tierney said.

Judge Zollo ordered Rosasaravia held on $10,000 cash, $30,000 bond or $100,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case, the DA said. Rosasaravia is due back in court on October 20, and is being represented by Scott Zerner.

On October 1, Luis Castillo Ramos, 22, of Bay Shore, was charged arraigned before Judge Tanenbaum on charges including two counts of third-degree burglary, Class D felonies, and one count of fourth-degree conspiracy, a Class E felony, Tierney said.

Judge Tanenbaum ordered Ramos to be released on his own recognizance because his charges are considered non-bail eligible under current New York State law, meaning prosecutors cannot ask for, and judges cannot set, bail, Tierney said.

Ramos is due back in court on October 21, and is being represented by Steve Fondulis.

On September 28, Manuel Cabrera was arraigned before Judge Zollo on charges including one count of second-degree grand larceny, a Class C felony, three counts of third-degree burglary, Class D felonies and one count of fifth-degree conspiracy, a Class A felony, Tierney said.

Judge Zollo ordered Cabrera placed on supervised release with GPS monitoring because his charges are considered non-bail eligible under current New York State law, meaning prosecutors cannot ask for, and judges cannot set bail, the DA said.

Cabrera is due back in court on October 27, and is being represented by Anthony Scheller.

On September 28, his co-conspirator Paul Rodriguez Martinez, 28, of Bay Shore, was arraigned before Judge Zollo on charges including three counts of third-degree burglary, Class D felonies, and one count of fifth-degree conspiracy, a Class A felony, the DA said.

Judge Zollo ordered Rodriguez Martinez placed on supervised release with GPS monitoring because his charges are considered non-bail eligible under current New York State law, meaning prosecutors cannot ask for, and judges cannot set, bail, the DA said.

Rodriguez Martinez is due back in court on October 16, and is being represented by Chase Brown.

While investigating the Perez and Cabrera conspiracies, investigators observed the remaining individuals also stealing clothing donations from inside of clothing donation bins in Suffolk County, the DA said.

Elix Costillo Ramos, Emerson Castillo Ramos, Jaime Vallejos Saenz, Yuri Paolomino Yllisca, Yunior Ipinasuchite, Alexi Zelaya Cruz, and Denis Sarmiento Vincente were arrested and charged as follows, Tierney said: On October 1, Castillo Ramos, 36, a Honduran national, was arraigned before Judge Tanenbaum on the charge of one count of third-degree burglary, a Class D felony, the DA said. Judge Tanenbaum ordered Castillo Ramos to be released on his own recognizance because his charges are considered non-bail eligible under current New York State law, meaning prosecutors cannot ask for, and judges cannot set, bail, the DA said.

Castillo Ramos is due back in court on October 28, and is being represented by Danielle Papa.

On October 1, Emerson Castillo Ramos, 20, a Honduran national, was arraigned before Judge Tanenbaum on one count of third-degree burglary, a Class D felony, the DA said.

Judge Tanenbaum ordered Castillo Ramos released on his own recognizance because his charges are considered non-bail eligible under current New York State law, meaning prosecutors cannot ask for, and judges cannot set, bail, the DA said. Castillo Ramosis due back in court on October 29, and is being represented by Eric Besso.

On September 26, Jaime Vallejos Saenz, 33, of Wyandanch, was arraigned before Acting County Court Judge Pierce Cohalan on two counts of third-degree burglary, Class D felonies, the DA said.

Judge Cohalan ordered Vallejos Saenz held on $10,000, $20,000 bond, or $100,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of his case, the DA said. Vallejos Saenz is due back in court on October 29, and is being represented by Ira Weisman.

On September 29, Palomino Yllisca, 34, a Peruvian national, was arraigned before Judge Tanenbaum on charges including seven counts of third-degree burglary, Class D felonies, the DA said.

Judge Tanenbaum ordered Yllisca to be released on his own recognizance, the DA said; Yllisca is due back in court on October 28, and is being represented by Peter Meyer.

On September 29, Ipinasuchite, 21, a Guatemalan national, was arraigned before Judge Tanenbaum on six counts of third-degree burglary, Class D felonies, the DA said. Judge Tanenbaum ordered Ipinasuchite held on $15,000, $30,000 bond, or $150,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case, the DA said; Ipinasuchite is due back in court on October 24, and is being represented by Mike Ross.

On September 29, Zelaya Cruz, 19, a Honduran national, was arraigned before Judge Tanenbaum on 10 counts of third-degree burglary, Class D felonies, the DA said.

Judge Tanenbaum ordered Cruz held at $10,000, $20,000 bond, or $100,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of his case, the DA said. Cruz is due back in court on October 27, and is being represented by John Manley.

On September 26, Sarmiento Vincente, 23, of Dix Hills, was arraigned before Judge Cohalan on one count of third-degree burglary, a Class D felony, Tierney said.

Judge Cohalan ordered Vincente placed on supervised release during the pendency of the case, the DA said. Vincente is due back in court on October 21, and is being represented by Joseph Nugent.

"During the course of our investigation we identified 16 individuals involved in this massive burglary and theft operation," said Tierney. "Since November 2024, the charged defendants collectively stole over half a million pounds of donated clothing from donation bins meant for the poor and homeless. These charges demonstrate that you cannot steal donations meant for charity in Suffolk County and repurpose them for your own personal gain. We will use every law enforcement tool at our disposal to see that these types of criminals are prosecuted and brought to justice."

"By these thieves targeting donation bins, they stole from vulnerable residents and from the organizations that work tirelessly to support them. Through the dedicated work of these investigators, we’ve helped dismantle an organized operation and sent a message that Suffolk County will not tolerate this kind of exploitation," said Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon. "The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office is proud to stand alongside the District Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners in bringing these criminals to face justice."

"Donation bins are placed in our communities as a gesture of goodwill, intended to help those in need," said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. "Unfortunately, these criminals exploited that generosity, stealing donations and profiting at the expense of others. This investigation highlights the effectiveness of coordinated law enforcement efforts in uncovering and stopping organized criminal activity."

"The U.S. Secret Service stands with its partner agencies in stamping out fraud schemes affecting the entire Long Island community," said Resident Agent in Charge Steven Choma of the Secret Service’s Long Island Resident Office. "This investigation is the result of the partnership between the U.S. Secret Service, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Suffolk County Police Department, and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office."