A Chilean national, Yoel Andres Barrera Garrido, has been sentenced and ordered to be deported for his role in a burglary ring targeting families of Asian descent in multiple states. Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom made the announcement following the U.S. District Court hearing in Rhode Island.
Barrera Garrido, aged 21, arrived in the United States in 2022 on a tourist visa but overstayed. He admitted to being part of a group that conducted detailed surveillance on individuals, mainly of Asian descent, before burglarizing their homes and businesses in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Wisconsin, and Florida.
The burglaries targeted locations with valuable items like cash, jewelry, and credit cards. Barrera Garrido confessed to participating in burglaries in Rhode Island, Goram, New Hampshire, and West Allis, Wisconsin.
He was arrested on March 12, 2024, and has remained in federal custody since. On November 20, 2024, Barrera Garrido pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and two counts of attempt to commit the same crime. Judge Melissa R. DuBose sentenced him to time served, equating to 12 months, and ordered his removal from the United States.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ly T. Chin and Julianne Klein prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation, supported by police departments from several states, Massachusetts State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
