A Colombian national has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for her role in a jewelry theft ring that targeted stores and kiosks in malls across the United States. Yesenia Melendez Rincon, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport after pleading guilty to conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made during the proceedings, Melendez Rincon and several other Colombian nationals burglarized jewelry stores and kiosks from May 2023 through April 2024. The group transported stolen property or proceeds across state lines following their crimes. Melendez Rincon participated in burglaries at locations including the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, Connecticut; Lombard, Illinois; Hamilton Township, New Jersey; and Henrico, Virginia. Losses from these incidents exceeded $1.33 million.
Melendez Rincon’s involvement included casing businesses prior to the burglaries, acting as a lookout during the crimes, and participating in selling stolen jewelry. Authorities found a photo taken in January 2024 on her iCloud account showing her wearing a heart-shaped ring stolen during the Milford burglary.
Investigators determined that Melendez Rincon’s co-conspirators were also involved in additional thefts totaling $3.1 million from establishments in Paterson, New Jersey; Mentor, Ohio; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Greece, New York; and Horseheads, New York between May 2023 and April 2024. Members of the conspiracy also scouted other potential targets in Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Delaware.
None of the stolen jewelry has been recovered by law enforcement so far.
Melendez Rincon was arrested on July 18, 2024. She pleaded guilty on July 1, 2025. After being released pending sentencing, she was remanded into custody at sentencing’s conclusion and will face immigration proceedings after serving her sentence.
The FBI New Haven’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force led the investigation with assistance from multiple local police departments across several states. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Conor M. Reardon prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan expressed appreciation for support from “the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida,” as well as “the FBI Field Offices in New York, Dallas, Miami, and Tampa.”
