Lapel video shows killing of suspected retail crime ringleader

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Deputies have dubbed a local man the “Al Capone of organized retail theft.” New video shows the moments police finally caught him last month.

Now deputies say the arrest of Raul Garcia has brought down the largest fence in the metro.

“He had just made a sale that involved an item he believed was stolen and had a GPS tracking device on it from one of the victim’s stores,” an undercover sergeant said.

KOB 4 has spoken to the sergeant behind the operation and we are hiding his identity because he is working undercover.

“There aren’t many who work as quickly as Raul,” the sergeant said.

He says Garcia built a pyramid of shoplifters, with himself at the top and career shoplifters just below, who then recruited people to steal primarily for drug money. One of those middlemen – or in Garcia's case, women – is allegedly Marileysei Campos.

Deputies say she and others at her level would make money by selling stolen items to Garcia, who would turn around and resell them to unwitting people in the community.

“They would sell a $100 bottle of perfume for $20. He would turn around and sell it for $50 to $60. So he was still making money from it, but it was still at a price that not even wholesalers could match,” the sergeant said.

The sergeant says they hit places like Winrock, including Ulta and TJ Maxx. Another popular stop was the Coronado Center and places near a bus stop, where city drivers often became unwilling getaway drivers.

“Originally it was about Victoria's Secret lingerie, and that's where we got the first information about one of the conspirators,” said the undercover sergeant.

Rei and Petsmart were also frequent victims, with items worth up to $3,000 each stolen.

“The profits of most of the companies involved in this case increased almost immediately, and the reports I received say that the thefts have expanded from large amounts to “onesies” and “twosies” like them they call. said the sergeant.

That means about a hundred dollars compared to the few thousand. The sergeant says this arrest sends a strong message not only to the common shoplifters, but also to those who run the operations.

“It will help us dismantle these criminal organizations because we will learn a little more about how they operate, even as they change as a result of these arrests,” the sergeant said.

Garcia faces multiple charges, including organized retail crime and money laundering. He will remain in prison until his trial.