Two Charged With Transporting 5,820 Pairs Of Shoes From Oregon To Utah In Stolen Truck

      SALT LAKE CITY – Two individuals stopped by law enforcement officers in Utah following an attempt to locate a stolen truck request from law enforcement authorities in Multnomah County, Oregon, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Utah Wednesday afternoon.

      Juan Carlos Andino-Mejia, age 24, of Los Angeles, a citizen of Honduras, and Marlon Emilio Vasquez-Garcia, age 45, of Los Angeles, a citizen of El Salvador, are charged with one count of interstate transportation of stolen property and one count of re-entering the country after a previous deportation. The indictment alleges the two transported 5,820 pairs of Keen Shoes with a value of more than $5,000 from Multnomah County, Ore., to Box Elder County, Utah.

      The shoes were in the truck when it was reported stolen from a trucking company in Oregon, on March 23, 2015. The trucking company notified law enforcement authorities that a GPS on the truck indicated it was at a truck stop in Box Elder County, Utah. The Utah Highway Patrol, Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tremonton City Police were involved in stopping the truck and conducting the investigation. ICE Enforcement and Removal officers also contributed to the investigation.

      Andino-Meja and Vasquez-Garcia, who have used a variety of names, have had multiple deportations from the United States. They face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of interstate transportation of stolen goods and up to 10 years in prison for re-entering the country after a previous deportation. An initial appearance on the charges will be scheduled for the pair.

      Indictments are not findings of guilt. Individuals charged in indictments are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in court.