NEWTON, NJ (Sussex County) – A Passaic County man has been sentenced to 180 days in jail for 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 was sentenced on Sept. 29 before the Honorable Michael C. Gaus, J.S.C. at the Sussex County Courthouse in Newton, Taggart said.
Canales was sentenced to 180 days in the Morris County Correctional Facility which will run concurrent on both counts.
Canales pled guilty on Sept. 8 to two counts of fourth-degree theft. In pleading guilty, he 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 gifts cards in what is called a “distract and grab” scam, Taggart said.
These charges were made after a thorough investigation by the Byram Police Department with the help of other agencies, Taggart siad.
At sentencing, Canales was represented by Matthew W. Young, Esq. and the State was represented by Special Deputy Attorney General and Acting Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Jonathan E. McMeen.
