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Multimillion-dollar theft ring member gets 7 years in prison

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A member of a theft ring that committed more than 180 burglaries and eluded police in dozens of car chases in Connecticut and New York was sentenced Tuesday to more than seven years in prison.

Josepher Cartagena, of the Bronx in New York City, appeared before a federal judge in Hartford, Connecticut, after having pleaded guilty in February to possession of stolen property.

Four other people, including Cartagena’s brother, were charged in the burglary spree, which targeted mostly car dealerships and cell phone stores from June 2020 to January 2021 and netted more $4 million in stolen property, federal prosecutors said. The group stole cars, cell phones, electronics and even ATM machines, prosecutors said.

Cartagena’s lawyer, Jon Silveri, declined to comment after the hearing. In court documents, he wrote Cartagena acknowledged taking part in the thefts and regretted his actions but denied being a leader of the ring like prosecutors alleged.

“He believes he has learned his lesson from this case,” Silveri wrote. “His being involved in this case was due to poor judgment, lack of education and desire to obtain money.”

Cartagena, 26, said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Michael Shea that he was remorseful and is working to better himself.

Cartagena’s brother, Alexander Santiago, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to the same prison term — 90 months. A third person was sent to prison for over four years, and two others were charged.

Prosecutors said the crew escaped police on numerous occasions by leading officers on high-speed chases that had to be terminated for safety reasons. Information on Santiago’s phone indicated he engaged police in 89 chases, prosecutors said.

Authorities arrested Cartagena in December 2020 in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, after several high-speed chases and collisions with police vehicles that day. One officer was injured.

Prosecutors said many of the stolen items, including vehicle keys and cell phones, as well as cash, firearms and ammunition, were found in the homes of Cartagena and Santiago.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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