A woman from New York City was sentenced December 4th in federal court in Alexandria after she admitted to having participated in a theft ring targeting South Asian families in Northern Virginia. Thirty-four-year-old Melinda Soto was accused of traveling from New York to burglarize dozens of homes in Fairfax and Loudoun counties.

Soto and her husband, Dagoberto Ramirez, pled guilty in September to charges of transporting stolen goods against state lines. A third co-conspirator, Francisco Gray, was deported to Peru after charges against him were thrown out for lack of evidence and his immigration lawyer was unable to secure legal status for Gray. Soto and Ramirez confessed to having burgled thirty-seven homes, stealing over half a million dollars worth of gold heirlooms last winter. Federal authorities told victims in the case that the stolen goods had been melted down almost immediately and sold by the trio.

Soto, who police say would knock on doors to discern whether homeowners were home before her husband and Gray stole the goods, was sentenced before US District Court Judge Leonie M. Brinkema last week. During the hearing, Judge Brinkema said to the defendant:

"Ms. Soto, you're not a kid... You traveled down to Virginia to do these crimes. There was an incredible amount of sophisticated planning, targeting an ethnic community, casing these houses. And even after you were arrested, there's evidence you tried to get an associate to manufacture an alibi."

Soto was ordered to pay restitution to the victims in the amount of $590,860. In addition to the five months she has spent in federal custody, she was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison. Victims in the case were not pleased with the decision. Herndon resident Jaya Sapre, who lost over $25,000 in property due to the thefts, expressed frustration at what she sees as lenient sentencing:

"Thirty-six months is nothing. A hardcore criminal knows now, 'I can do something like this.' Thirty-six months is nothing for them."

This article is presented by Price Benowitz LLP, serving Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC. For more information, please visit our Maryland DUI Lawyer, Washington DC DUI Attorney and Virginia personal injury websites.