Sheriff Babb: Thieves stole $162,194 from 36 church mailboxes across Fayette; 6 of 17 suspects arrested

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Suspects in church mailbox thefts are (L-R top to bottom) Mayrelis Rodriguez-Roldan; Jose Leyva-Guerrero; Pedro Ramirez-Camillo; Arian Ochoa-Agular; Roberto Toboso-Morodo; and Eduardo Antelo-Gonzalez. Photos/Fayette County Jail.
Suspects in church mailbox thefts are (L-R top to bottom) Mayrelis Rodriguez-Roldan; Jose Leyva-Guerrero; Pedro Ramirez-Camillo; Arian Ochoa-Agular; Roberto Toboso-Morodo; and Eduardo Antelo-Gonzalez. Photos/Fayette County Jail.

UPDATED — Texas ring hauled in $1.5 million across 14 states — 

Investigators with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office have uncovered a ring of thieves from Texas that stole checks from 36 churches in Fayette County, and from churches across 14 states. With six now in custody, the checks stolen from Fayette County totaled $162,192, while the total from the multi-state haul was $1.5 million.

 Sheriff Barry Babb said the 17 members of the ring drove from Texas to the various locations during the Covid pandemic when fewer people were attending church, where they stole checks from church mailboxes.

Members of the ring would then return to Texas and deposit the checks into their accounts.

From Fayette County alone, the thefts from 36 churches totaled approximately $162,194. From the churches in the 14 states, the total in thefts rose to $1.5 million, said Babb.

Babb said charges have been brought against 17 people, with six currently in custody in Fayette County so far.

Those in custody include:

Mayrelis Rodriguez-Roldan, 32, of Houston, Texas

Jose Leyva-Guerrero, 36, of Tampa, Fla.

Pedro Ramirez-Camillo, 30, of Houston, Texas

Arian Ochoa-Agular, 30, of Houston, Texas

Roberto Toboso-Morodo, 31, of Houston, Texas

Eduardo Antelo-Gonzalez, 35, of Houston, Texas

All those arrested are being held without bond on RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act violations as well as identity fraud and exploitation of an elderly person.

The Fayette churches where the thefts occurred include:

Apostolic Christian Church of Peachtree City

Christ Church at Whitewater

Covenant Presbyterian

Dogwood Church & Real Life Center

Episcopal Church of the Nativity

Fayette Presbyterian

Fayette Samaritans

Fayette Seventh Day Adventist

Fayetteville Church of Christ

Fayetteville First Baptist

Flat Creek Baptist

Grace Baptist

Grace Evangelical

Heritage Baptist

Holy Trinity Catholic

Hopewell United Methodist

Inman United Methodist

Kenwood Baptist

Lisbon Baptist

McDonough Christian

McDonough Road Baptist

New Beginning Praise & Worship

North Fayette United Methodist

Olivet Baptist

One Church

Peachtree City Christian

Peachtree City Church of Christ

Peachtree City First Baptist

Peachtree City United Methodist

Prince of Peace Lutheran

Saint Gabriel / Saint Vincent de Paul

Saint Matthew

South Fayette Church of Christ

Southern Crescent

Tyrone First Christian

Whitewater Church

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