Dec. 21--Three men have been arrested in connection with the theft of about $500,000 in teeth whitening strips, diet pills, and other items from a Fountain business.
The men allegedly took Crest Whitening Strips, NicoDerm patches, and Alli Weight Loss pills and sold them for profit on eBay, the online auction website, said Detective Marshall Trujillo of the Fountain Police Department.
Pueblo residents Robert Manzanares, 37, Nicholas Rodriguez, 31, and Michael Joseph Martinez, 31, were arrested in connection with the thefts.
Manzanares and Rodriguez worked at Advantage Logistics and police believe they took the pills, patches and strips from the company warehouse at 500 Charter Oak Ranch Road in Fountain and gave them to Martinez, who allegedly sold the goods on eBay.
The items normally fetch a high price at King Soopers, but police believe the men were selling the items at half-price online, Trujillo said.
Advantage Logistics distributes merchandise for King Soopers grocery stores.
Officers from the Fountain, Colorado Springs and Pueblo police departments worked together to investigate the case, which began with an Oct. 27 report of a theft at the warehouse. It is believed items had been stolen periodically over the previous year.
The Fountain Police Department, in cooperation with the King Soopers Loss Prevention Department, discovered that items that appeared to be stolen from the warehouse had been sold for profits in excess of $200,000.
The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are possible.
Copyright 2011 - The Gazette, Colorado Springs, Colo.
