A woman from Inglewood was taken into custody after the authorities allegedly discovered that she may be a part of a fencing scheme involving merchandise that had been reported as stolen from several stores.
While investigating a report from Macy’s at the Glendale Galleria, 36-year-old Tiffany Mathis caught the attention of the police as a suspect in what is believed to be a fencing operation involving goods that were stolen from several stores around the Los Angeles area.
A fence is someone who obtains stolen goods for a low price from the people who initially stole them, and then finds buyers that will pay close to market value and usually don’t know that the products were illegally procured. Mathis is suspected of acting in this capacity.
On Wednesday, officers went to Mathis’ address with a warrant allowing them to search the premises, and they spotted her in the vicinity while she was allegedly in the act of putting duffel bags into her van. The police reportedly found merchandise inside of the bags and placed Mathis under arrest for suspicion of stolen property.
After the items, which were estimated to hold a total value of near $35,000, were seized several local stores came forward and claimed the pieces of merchandise that they reported had been taken from their establishments.
The authorities believe that Mathis was using social media accounts to advertise the alleged stolen merchandise and using the van for meeting with interested buyers that responded.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.