Colombian Woman Sentenced For Role In Nationwide Jewelry Theft Ring

Tuesday, September 30, 2025, 12:45 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

BRIDGEPORT, CT.- Last Thursday, a 41-year-old Colombian woman, formally illegally residing in Kissimmee, Florida, was sentenced in Federal Court in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for her role in an organized jewelry theft ring that targeted mall-based stores and kiosks across the United States.

     According to U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan, on Thursday, September 25, 2025, Yesenia Melendez Rincon, 41, of Colombia, formally residing in Kissimmee, Florida, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Kari A. Dooley to 24 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Theft.

According To Court Documents

     According to charging documents and statements made in the District Court, beginning in May 2023 and lasting through April 2024, Melendez Rincon participated as a “Lookout” for multiple Colombian nationals who burglarized jewelry stores and kiosks in malls and then transported the stolen jewelry across state lines.

     Melendez Rincon and her co-conspirators burglarized jewelry stores at the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, Connecticut, on October 5, 2023, in Lombard, Illinois, on October 17, 2023, in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, on October 27, 2023, and in Henrico, Virginia, on November 4, 2023. The total loss from the four burglaries exceeded $1.33 million.

     A photo taken in January 2024, uncovered from Melendez Rincon’s iCloud account, revealed her wearing a distinctive heart-shaped ring that was stolen during the break-in in Milford, Connecticut, in October 2023.

     The investigation further uncovered that Melendez Rincon’s co-conspirators were also involved in the theft of an additional $3.1 million in jewelry from stores in Paterson, New Jersey, on May 17, 2023, in Mentor, Ohio, on July 21, 2023, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on August 13, 2023, in Greece, New York, on September 20, 2023, and in Horseheads, New York, on April 18, 2024. Members of the theft conspiracy also cased additional jewelry stores and kiosks in Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Delaware. To date, none of the stolen jewelry has been recovered by law enforcement Investigators.

     Melendez Rincon was initially arrested on July 18, 2024. On July 1, 2025, she pleaded guilty to her role in the theft conspiracy. Melendez Rincon, who had been released pending sentencing, was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following her sentencing hearing last Thursday. Upon completion of her term of imprisonment, Melendez Rincon will face immediate deportation proceedings and be removed from the United States.