5 Men from New York Accused of Stealing $23K in Electronics from Fry’s: Police Blotter

Five men from New York are accused of stealing more than $23,000 worth of merchandise from Fry’s Electronics stores, including the Downers Grove location. 

Thomas A. Cecere Sr., 43; Thomas A. Cecere Jr., 18; Ronald Zilberov, 19; Charles Perez, 28; and Matthew Santomarco, 18—all of Brooklyn, NY—were all charged with one count of burglary and one count of felony retail theft after robbing the store, located at 3300 Finley Road, police said.

Downers Grove police were dispatched to the store around 6:45 p.m. on Dec. 19 for a retail theft in progress. Officers were advised that there were five men leaving the parking lot in a black Chrysler Town and Country traveling southbound on Finley Road, according to reports. 

The vehicle was located and stopped on the southbound curb lane of Finley Road, just north of Lacey Road, police said. After searching and handcuffing all five men, officers saw in plain view several Microsoft items inside the vehicle, according to reports.

Loss prevention officers at Fry’s told police they were aware of a retail theft crew stealing large amounts of Microsoft software from other Fry’s Electronics stores, police said. On Dec. 1, the crew of five white men stole merchandise from a store in Fisher, IN, according to reports.

The loss prevention officers were given photographs of the men, who they saw entering the store around 6:30 p.m., police said.

Zilberov was seen on the security camera gathering multiple software merchandise on a bottom shelf, police said. Three white men—identified as Cecere Sr., Cecere Jr. and Santomarco—covered the bottom shelf, using their bodies as shields, while Perez began to place items into his puffy coat, according to reports.

The men then left the store without rendering payment, police said.

During a search of the vehicle, officers found several electronic items—including GPS units, Bluetooth headsets, cameras and hard drives—and computer software scattered around the back seat inside large, black garbage bags, police said.

The total value of all recovered items was $23.082, according to reports.

The five men remained in DuPage County Jail on Wednesday. All are being held on $10,000 bond except Thomas Cecere Sr., whose bond was set at $15,000.

Police Blotter information is provided by local law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.

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