NEWTON, NJ (Sussex County) – A Passaic County man has pled guilty to a distract and grab scam that occurred at the Shoprite in Byram Township, according to Acting Sussex County Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart.
Juan Canales, 54, of Paterson pled guilty to two counts of fourth-degree theft on Sept. 8 before the Honorable Michael C. Gaus, J.S.C. at the Sussex County Courthouse in Newton, Taggart said.
Canales admitted, on two separate occasions, to knowingly stealing two different wallets from two different victims and utilizing the credit cards found within the wallets to obtain gift cards in what is called a “distract and grab” scam, Taggart said.
He scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 29, Taggart said.
These charges were made after a thorough investigation by the Byram Police Department with the help of other agencies.
Canales was represented by Matthew W. Young, Esq., and the State was represented by Special Deputy Attorney General and Acting Assistant Prosecutor Jonathan E. McMeen.
