Conviction Secured Under DA’s FastPass Program
(Woodland, CA) – March 25, 2024 – On March 22, 2024, the Honorable Tom Dyer sentenced Nicholas Juarez Lopez, of West Sacramento, to four years County Prison resulting from two separate convictions for grand theft and one conviction for attempted grand theft.
Over a one-year period, beginning in January of 2022, in approximately 45 incidents of retail theft, Juarez Lopez stole just over $18,000 worth of Legos, action figures, electronics, and other household items from various Target locations in the greater Sacramento Area. Juarez Lopez told investigators that he was reselling the merchandise to supplement his drug habit. The extent of the theft was not brought to law enforcement’s attention until the implementation of the Yolo County District Attorney’s “FastPass to Prosecution,” a Direct File Program, which allows retailers to submit internal reports and evidence directly to the District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney Jeff Reisig commended the collaborative efforts of both law enforcement and leaders in the retail loss prevention community. “Retail theft is underreported in our county due to California’s broken laws concerning theft, drug abuse and limited law enforcement resources. The FastPass program is designed to increase communication between retailers and law enforcement, guaranteeing faster prosecutions with better results. This case is a testament to the program’s success.”
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