Indictment: textbook theft suspects targeted UW schools

A federal grand jury has indicted two Texas residents on charges tied to a college textbook thefts in Wisconsin.

Ryan Scott Lewis, 35, and Genisis Garcia Abellar, 35, targeted University of Wisconsin System schools, according to the indictment.

The indictment alleges the Houston residents stole textbooks from offices at UW-Green Bay, UW-Whitewater, UW-Stout, and UW-River Falls. They shipped the stolen books to Texas to sell to college students.

Lewis and Abellar are also suspected in similar cases in Minnesota, North Dakota, Arizona, New Mexico, and Washington state, investigators say.

The duo faces charges of conspiracy to transport stolen goods and interstate transportation of stolen property.

If convicted, Lewis and Abellar each face up to 15 years in federal prison.

The case was investigated by UW-Green Bay Police, the Wisconsin Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.