A Bronx man is facing a felony charge after what Westport police say was a cushy but costly con involving four high-end massage chairs worth about $33,136.
According to investigators, 28-year-old Alberto Gracequis‑Nunez allegedly arranged a bogus online purchase, then had the quartet of luxury chairs picked up from Mike’s Factory Direct locations in Westport and Elmsford. Detectives say two chairs were collected at the Westport showroom and two at the affiliated Elmsford outlet, all loaded into a rented U-Haul. Gracequis‑Nunez later turned himself in on Monday and was charged with first-degree larceny. He was released on a $50,000 bond.
The case started back on Nov. 7, when an employee at Mike’s Factory Direct on Kings Highway North spotted trouble in the fine print. Staff flagged an online order for four massage chairs totaling $33,136 as suspicious, and a credit-card company later disputed the charge, prompting the store to call police, Daily Voice reported.
How Police Say The Chair Caper Played Out
Westport detectives told CT Insider they tracked the U-Haul used in the pickups back to Gracequis‑Nunez and developed him as a suspect. An arrest warrant was obtained, and police say he turned himself in on Monday. After posting the $50,000 bond, he was given a court date of April 20 in Stamford Superior Court.
Inside Mike’s Factory Direct And The Business Fallout
Mike’s Factory Direct, which lists a Westport showroom at 15 Kings Highway North on its website, specializes in hot tubs, saunas and massage chairs. According to Daily Voice, all four chairs that were picked up in Westport and Elmsford were tied to the same disputed $33,136 online order. Store employees who questioned that order were the ones who kicked off the investigation by alerting police.
What A First-Degree Larceny Charge Means
Under Connecticut law, larceny in the first degree is a class B felony that generally applies when the value of stolen property is more than $20,000, according to the Connecticut General Assembly. Class B felonies can bring serious time: Justia notes that sentences for such offenses can include up to 20 years in prison and fines as high as $15,000. Because the alleged loss is roughly $33,136, prosecutors have charged the case at that level.
Westport police say the investigation is still active and detectives are continuing to follow leads. Gracequis‑Nunez is scheduled to return to Stamford Superior Court on April 20 to face the first-degree larceny charge.
