Guilty pleas in Greenwood convenience store retail theft ring

Four owners of the GMS Market in north Greenwood pleaded guilty yesterday to buying and reselling more than $1 million in stolen goods at their store at 10406 Greenwood Ave. N. The four were charged in May with paying thieves to shoplift goods from local retailers, then reselling them at GMS Market and online.

According to the King County Prosecutors Office, Gulshan Rai, and his son Jatin Rai, pleaded guilty to four counts of Attempted Trafficking in Stolen Property First Degree, one count each of Attempted Possession of Stolen Property First Degree and Conspiracy to Commit Organized Retail Theft First Degree. Both face a possible sentence of 16-1/2 months in prison.
Gulshan Rai’s wife, Shabnam Sukhija, pleaded guilty to three counts of Attempted Trafficking in Stolen Property First Degree. Jatin Rai’s wife, Mitu Rai, pleaded guilty to one count each of Trafficking in Stolen Property First Degree, Attempted Possession of Stolen Property First Degree and Conspiracy to Commit Organized Retail Theft First Degree. Both women face a sentence of nine months of electronic home detention.
The KCPO says that as part of the plea agreement, all four have agreed to pay restitution to area grocery stores (Safeway, QFC, Fred Meyer and Target) and have also agreed to sell the GMS market.
Gulshan Rai will be sentenced on Nov. 4. Sentencing for the other three defendants is scheduled for Oct. 14.