Cordero Ja Chonne Tramble

WARSAW — A Merrillville man was sentenced Thursday, Sept. 28, in the Kosciusko Superior 1 Court on charges related to a string of thefts at Meijer stores throughout Indiana and Illinois.

Cordero Ja Chonne Tramble, 26, 7811 Carolina Place, Merrillville, pleaded guilty to a charge of count II theft with enhancement, a level 6 felony.

Tramble’s charge stems from an incident that occurred in 2016 at the Warsaw Meijer location. According to the affidavit of probable cause, an officer with the Warsaw Police Department responded to a theft report at Meijer on Oct. 3. Loss prevention officials at Meijer advised the officer that several bottles of liquor had been found to be missing from the stock.

Surveillance footage from Meijer showed that on Oct. 1 two males entered the store and went to the liquor aisle where they proceeded to load 13 bottles of Patron Silver into a duffle bag.

Tramble and the other male subject separated in the store. Tramble exited the store and entered a white Ford truck. He proceeded to drive to the exit doors where the other male subject left the store without paying for the liquor and entered the vehicle.

According to the affidavit, loss prevention officials advised that the Meijer corporate office was familiar with Tramble and the other male subject as the pair had been stealing from 13 other Meijer stores throughout Illinois and Indiana using the same method of operation.

Loss prevention officials provided the officer with photographs of Tramble and the other male from the surveillance video. The officer obtained the duo’s driver license photos and was able to identify them as the same subjects.

At the sentencing, Tramble addressed Judge David Cates, stating, “I apologize to you and to the prosecuting attorney. I’m working to try to get my life on track.”

“I’m really not sure why you’re apologizing to me or to the prosecutor,” Cates replied, “It wasn’t us you stole from.”

Regarding the charge of count II theft with enhancement, a level 6 felony, Tramble was sentenced to one and a half years in the custody of the Kosciusko County Jail. Judge Cates stated the sentence would be served consecutively with any sentences from other pending cases. Cates said he had no objection to the sentence being served through the Work Release Program or through Community Corrections, either in Kosciusko County or Lake County, provided Tramble qualifies.

Tramble was ordered to pay restitution to Meijer in the amount of $567.87 and to pay court costs. He was given jail time credit of two days.

“Mr. Tramble, I hope what I’ve read about you is correct – that you are turning your life around and you have a good job,” said Cates, “It sounds like you have a good opportunity. Don’t screw it up.”