A Tucson man was sentenced to prison after he pleaded guilty to an organized retail theft scheme.
On Aug. 18, Joseph James Mierzejewski was sentenced to one year in prison, followed by four years of probation after he plead guilty to one count of theft and one count of attempted trafficking in stolen property, a news release from the Arizona Attorney Generalβs Office said.
Mierzejewski was indicted in April and accused of participating in an organized retail theft ring that defrauded retail stores in Southern Arizona, including Target, Home Depot and Walmart, the news release said.
Mierzejewski would enter the store and place an incorrect Universal Product Code on an item, which included a significantly lower marked price than the retail value, the news release said. He would then pay the lower price at the register and resell the items at pawn shops for profit.
According to the indictment, Mierzejewski stole various household items, power tools, LEGO sets, a Suvie Cooker and a knife set.
