Half of those arrested in elaborate charity bin theft ring lack legal status

Nearly half of the individuals allegedly involved in an elaborate crime ring that nabbed thousands of pounds in donated clothing from charity bins are illegal migrants, according to a law enforcement source.

A total of 17 individuals have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a year-long, sophisticated operation that involved stealing donated clothing from charity bins across Suffolk County, New York, law enforcement officials announced on Oct. 8. Of those arrested, at least eight of them are unlawfully in the country, according to a law enforcement source that spoke with the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“Donation bins are placed in our communities as a gesture of goodwill, intended to help those in need,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said in a public statement earlier in October.

“Unfortunately, these criminals exploited that generosity, stealing donations and profiting at the expense of others,” Catalina continued. “This investigation highlights the effectiveness of coordinated law enforcement efforts in uncovering and stopping organized criminal activity.”

Between November 2024 and September 2025, two separate criminal operations allegedly carried out a systematic theft of donated clothes across Suffolk County, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Video footage allegedly captured members repeatedly pilfering clothing from donation bins in the dead of night — which was then sold to a used clothing export business.

Altogether, the assailants allegedly stole more than half a million pounds in donated clothes worth nearly $100,000, according to investigators. Law enforcement seized 14 vehicles used in the operation and recovered roughly 25,000 pounds of stolen clothing.

The two criminal groups were allegedly led by Alfredo Perez and Manuel Cabrera, according to law enforcement. Those involved in the theft and transportation of the stolen clothes included foreign nationals from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Peru.

The law enforcement source did not specify which members lacked legal status. However, investigators mentioned during an Oct. 8 press conference that the last individual to be taken into custody, Juan Castro Molina, was being held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and noted that his deportation would be delayed to allow his criminal proceedings to carry on.

“By these thieves targeting donation bins, they stole from vulnerable residents and from the organizations that work tirelessly to support them,” Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon said in a public statement. “Through the dedicated work of these investigators, we’ve helped dismantle an organized operation and sent a message that Suffolk County will not tolerate this kind of exploitation.”

Law enforcement officials publicly noted that many of the foreign nationals allegedly involved in the crime spree had been previously arrested multiple times, but were repeatedly released due to New York’s “lax” bail laws.

Both New York State and New York City have been targeted with lawsuits by the Trump administration for their sanctuary laws, which the White House argues protect criminal illegal migrants.

Many criminal illegal migrants have avoided federal immigration enforcement in New York, despite numerous local arrests. When two illegal migrants were arrested earlier this year for allegedly shooting a man in the face at a New York City park in a botched robbery, federal officials revealed that both men had been repeatedly arrested and released before the shooting.

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