Crime & Safety
Two Indicted in Salem Organized Mall Theft Ring
One individual could face up to 7 years in jail for her role in stealing merchandise using devices that blocked the mall's theft detection systems.
Two Massachusetts women have been indicted in Rockingham Superior Court on charges alleging they were part of an organized retail crime ring.
Rosanna Fernandez, 33, of 41 Bellevue Ave. in Haverhill, and Katery Lora, 24 of 237 High St. in Lawrence, each face charges in connection to thefts made at the Mall at Rockingham Park on June 28, according to the indictments.
Fernandez was indicted on a Class B felony count of organized retail crime enterprise — which carries a possible jail sentence of between 3 1/2 to 7 years and up to a $4,000 fine — for allegedly conspiring with Lora and another woman to steal items from Abercrombie and Fitch using theft detection shielding devices and shopping bags.
Lora was indicted on a Class A misdemeanor count of use or possession of theft detection shielding devices and theft detection device removers as well as a Class A misdemeanor count of resisting arrest for her alleged role in the thefts.
Officers allegedly found Lora in possession of the shielding device when the thefts occurred on June 28, and the indictments claim she attempted to run away from the officers when they tried to arrest her.
An indictment is not an indication of guilt or conviction; rather, it means a grand jury believed there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial.
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