BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — A Peruvian citizen was sentenced to two years in prison Tuesday in Bridgeport for participating in a distraction theft and identity theft scheme, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Angel Eugenio Bances Chaponan, 60, is a Peruvian national who last resided in Queens, N.Y. Prosecutors said that he used stolen credit and debit cards to purchase $46,000 of electronics and other items.
Court documents and statements made in court note that the FBI and local Connecticut law enforcement agencies, as well as those in other states, have been investigating a string of distraction thefts of wallets from victims, who are typically elderly women, at Trader Joe’s grocery stores, TJ Maxx stores and other retail stores. The thefts have been occurring both in and outside of Connecticut since March 2022…