Two Texas railroad workers have been charged in connection with an alleged scheme to steal Garmin watches during shipment and resell them, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas announced Wednesday.
Gerald Ditz, 31, and Michael Alaniz, 35, both of El Paso, Texas, have each been charged with one count of conspiracy to transport stolen property, one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, one count of mail and wire fraud conspiracy, and one count of mail fraud.
According to the indictment, between May 2023 and May 2024, Ditz and Alaniz allegedly used their employment at a freight contracting company that serves a train station in Santa Teresa, N.M., to access Garmin watches that were en route to the company's warehouse in Olathe, Kan. Garmin produces a variety of sports, outdoor and fitness watches, including smart watches.
Ditz and Alaniz allegedly stole the Garmin watches from their shipping container and resold dozens of them online to unwitting buyers.
According to the indictment, some of the watches stolen from the shipping container also have registrations connected to more than a dozen people assigned or formerly assigned to the Santa Teresa train station, or about 15% of the workforce.
Both men were arrested in Texas, and made their initial court appearances this week in the Western District of Texas.
-With TMX
