Man sentenced in string of robberies at San Diego-area sports goods stores

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A man who the San Diego County District Attorney's office says was the ringleader of a group that stole thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from sports goods stores earlier this year was sentenced Wednesday to six years behind bars.

Edgar Figueroa, 27, previously pleaded guilty to multiple felony counts, including organized retail theft and robbery, brought by prosecutors for the shoplifting scheme following his arrest in mid-March.

According to the district attorney's office, Figueroa was taken into custody after an employee at the Dick's Sporting Goods in Chula Vista noticed him stuffing items into a duffel back.

The employee recognized him as a chronic thief and called Chula Vista police. He was detained and identified as a wanted suspect from an armed robbery the month prior at a nearby Burlington, where he stole $1,684 worth of merchandise alongside three others.

Per prosecutors, Figueroa had demanded an employee give them the goods while pointing a firearm at them. An accomplice had done the same threatening them with a Taser.

Figueroa was also implicated in several other robberies, including ones at the Nike stores in Carlsbad and Las Americas Premium Outlets. In total, prosecutors say he was involved in stealing more than $19,300 worth of goods.

DA Summer Stephen lauded the sentencing as a win tied to the passage of Proposition 36 last November, which rolled back a number of criminal justice reforms implemented after a federal court ordered California to address overcrowding in its state prison system.

One of the changes Prop 36 implemented allowed prison sentences for felony convictions to be lengthened by up to three years if they conspired with two or more people to steal or destroy property.

The district attorney's office said at least six people were believed to have been involved in carrying out the thefts associated with Figueroa.

“The era of chronic theft in San Diego County is coming to an end and it is high time for thieves to be held accountable under the law,” Stephan said in a statement.