The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office has reportedly nabbed a suspect accused of using Facebook Marketplace to sell thousands of dollars in stolen tools, part of a wider scheme of theft-by-deception. Following a July 10 arrest, 40-year-old Zachery Gene Diluzio was charged with multiple offenses, including Organized Retail Theft and Identity Theft, according to a press release from the Sheriff's Office.
An investigation was sparked when a Clackamas interior-supply store employee reported a curious incident. A caller had posed as an employee of a drywall company and used a company account number to fraudulently purchase over $6,300 of tools on July 9. A man and a woman later arrived at the store, used a prearranged "password," and departed with the tools in a grey Chevrolet Bolt hatchback. Only when the store reached out to the actual drywall company did they learn no such purchase had been authorized. The police were then alerted to the heist.
Looking deeper, detectives uncovered what seemed to be a pattern of deceit. A similar crime had been perpetrated at a Portland branch of the same retailer. Here too, an impostor had used the drywall company's credentials to walk away with over $4,100 in tools. The ensuing days led law enforcement to Facebook Marketplace, where the exact items stolen were up for sale, a discovery made by the very employees from whom the items were pilfered. Wasting no time, the store's staff engaged with the seller to orchestrate a sale, communicating their intel to the detectives.
The arranged meet-up with the seller turned into a sting operation, resulting in Diluzio's capture. In his possession were a forged ID and tools from the retailer, confirming deputies' suspicions. The Sheriff's Office, urging the public to come forward with any further information, believes that there may be additional victims caught in Diluzio's deceptive web. Individuals with insights into his criminal activities are encouraged to use the Sheriff's Office Tip Line—by phone at 503-723-4949 or online—to assist with the ongoing investigation.
Arrested and booked into Clackamas County Jail on July 10, Diluzio's booking photo has been released to aid in identifying any other potential crimes he may have committed. In accordance with Oregon House Bill 3273, which pertains to the use of booking photos for law enforcement purposes, investigators hope members of the public will recognize Diluzio and help widen the net of justice.
