4 sentenced in burglary ring that targeted Asian American business owners in the Northwest

Four Colombian nationals were sentenced in federal court Tuesday for their roles in a multistate burglary ring that targeted Asian American business owners across Oregon and Washington state.

Derinson Martinez-Grandas, 34, and William Estiven Rodriguez-Gaviria, 27, were each sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison; Jhon Alexander Quintero, 45, received 18 months and Steven Alexander Quiroga-Solano, 28, received 21 months. Each also received three years of supervised release and forfeiture of stolen proceeds and devices used in the burglaries. The crew used signal jammers and short-term rentals to surveil victims.

All four also received state sentences the same day in Lane County Circuit Court, having pled guilty to two counts of first-degree burglary and first-degree aggravated theft, with state terms running concurrent with the federal sentences. U.S. District Judge Michael McShane said the men targeted victims because they were Asian American business owners who spent long hours away from home. As we previously reported, Quintero pleaded guilty to the same federal charge in March.

The sentencing comes as Asian American community leaders say targeted burglaries are rising again in the Eugene area. Speaking to KATU, Asian American Council of Oregon President Jenny Jonak said the burglaries reflect assumptions about which communities keep valuables at home. “We believe it’s the perception that Asian Americans are more likely to be affluent than other demographic groups,” Jonak said.

The legal gap compounds the problem. Oregon’s bias crime statute continues to exclude theft offenses, leaving prosecutors without a dedicated charge, or the option of a sentencing enhancement tied to racial or ethnic targeting, even in cases as documented as this one. As a result, prosecutions like this one rely on federal statutes such as interstate transportation of stolen goods, which address the mechanics of the crime but not the reason victims were chosen.

The sentencings follow the recent enactment of Senate Bill 1516, which clarified that Oregon judges can weigh flight risk and community safety when setting bail. The law responds to cases in which six of the original seven suspects posted bail and were later taken into federal immigration custody before facing state trial.

Beyond the bail law, State Sen. Floyd Prozanski, a Eugene Democrat who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, is drafting legislation allowing sentencing enhancements for organized or bias-motivated crimes.

Three additional suspects from the original case remain fugitives.