A man has been sentenced to prison in a bar-code scheme at Philadelphia-area Target stores.
Damian A. Gasdaska, 36, was sentenced this week in Montgomery County Court to 15 months to four years on charges of organized retail theft and conspiracy. A judge ordered him to pay $21,261 in restitution and forfeit his 2005 Mercedes.
Defense attorney Michael Quinn says his client resorted to theft because his prior criminal history kept him from getting g a decent job to support his family.
Authorities say Gasdaska and two accomplices identified costly items and cheaper products. They allegedly created a UPC label on a home computer for the cheaper product, which was affixed to the costlier item, and resold the merchandise online.
Deputy District Attorney Steven Latzer told the Intelligencer that Gasdaska’s criminal past showed an escalation from petty theft to the Target scheme.
“Enough is enough,” Latzer told the paper. “Today is the day we stop this one-man crime wave in its tracks, put it out of business for good.”
The Intelligencer reports an alleged accomplice is awaiting trial.
