A Colombian woman has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for her role in a multi-state jewelry theft ring that included high-dollar burglaries in Greece and Horseheads.
U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan announced on Thursday that 41-year-old Yesenia Melendez Rincon, of Kissimmee, Florida, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy charges.
Federal prosecutors say Melendez Rincon was part of an organized group of Colombian nationals that burglarized mall-based jewelry stores and kiosks across the country between May 2023 and April 2024. Losses from the thefts topped $4.4 million, and none of the stolen items have been recovered.
Investigators say the group struck at least nine times, including a September 20, 2023, burglary in Greece and an April 18, 2024, burglary in Horseheads. Other thefts occurred in Connecticut, New Jersey, Illinois, Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana.
Melendez Rincon typically cased stores ahead of time, acted as a lookout, and helped sell stolen jewelry. Court records show she was photographed wearing a heart-shaped ring stolen in a 2023 burglary in Milford, Connecticut.
She was arrested in July 2024 and has been in custody since sentencing. Once she completes her prison term, she faces immigration proceedings.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force with assistance from multiple police agencies, including the Greece Police Department, the New York State Police, and local law enforcement in Horseheads.
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