BOSTON (WWLP) – Six Massachusetts men have been arrested in connection to allegedly breaking into 12 convenience stores over a span of three months and stealing approximately $50,000 worth of lottery tickets.
The Essex County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday that six known gang members will face more than 120 indictments including breaking and entering, larceny over $1,200, money laundering, fugitive from justice, improper use of credit card and more.
The following suspects were arraigned and will be held without the right to bail until May 30th:
- 22-year-old David Garcia of Lynn
- 20-year-old Darwin Batista of Lynn
- 24-year-old Angel Santos of Lynn
- 22-year-old Israel Garcia of Methuen
- 23-year-old Westyn Lantigua of Lynn
- 25-year-old Aaron Diaz Liranzo of Revere
The investigation was titled Operation Smash & Grab. Over a span of three months, multiple police departments were looking into 12 breaks-in at convenience stores across eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire where $50,000 worth of lottery tickets were stolen. The thefts occurred in February, March and April this year. All twelve thefts occurred in the early morning hours in the following towns:
- Swampscott: February 27 at 6:04 a.m. – 300 lottery tickets stolen
- Saugus: March 2 at 4:12 a.m. – Multiple rolls of lottery tickets and packs of cigarettes stolen
- Wakefield: March 6 at 3:05 a.m. – Multiple books of lottery tickets stolen
- Peabody: March 6 at 3:57 a.m. – Lottery tickets ripped off the wall and cash register was open
- Marblehead: March 13 at 3:45 a.m. – Large container of lottery tickets stolen
- Seabrook, NH: March 19 at 3:57 a.m. – 43 rolls of lottery tickets stolen
- Nashua, NH: March 25 at 2:50 a.m. – Stolen lottery tickets that were cashed in the same day at another location in Bedford, NH
- Fremont, NH: March 27 at 5:20 a.m. – Lottery tickets stolen and later cashed in at a store in Derry, NH
- Windham, NH: March 29 at 4:14 a.m. – Lottery tickets stolen
- Wilmington: March 29 at 5:03 a.m. – Whole box of lottery tickets stolen
- Peabody: April 11 at 4:16 a.m. – Lottery tickets stolen
- Lynn: April 11 at 3:37 a.m. – Cash register broken into and lottery tickets stolen
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