Thola-Duran and Arriagada would order those who stole credit cards to max them out by buying gift cards or high-end luxury goods from Target, Best Buy, Home Depot and other stores, officials said.
They would then be directed to bring the illicit goods back the rental car business or direct them to be mailed to others involved, prosecutors said.
Also arrested were Miguel Angel Barajas, 57, of Northridge and John Carlos Thola, 33, of Canoga Park who prosecutors said picked up parcels and delivered them to Thola-Duran.
Thola-Duran then sold the stolen goods to other buyers, prosecutors allege, for approximately $5.5 million over the course of the conspiracy. Thola-Duran and his co-defendants used the money to buy real estate and horses, among other assets, according to the indictment.
“The devastation and the impact this is having on Southern California and this nation is unacceptable and it’s intolerable,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said, adding that the criminals used Driver Power Rentals to obtain cars that would help them blend in to the communities they victimized.
“They have no shame, no empathy, they are here for one reason,” Spitzer said. “To create havoc and devastation.”
Mayor Karen Bass said she had spoken with residents in areas like the San Fernando Valley who have been “terrorized and terrified by what is happening,” and was hoping the announcement of arrests would bring relief to those residents.
She added that the announcement of arrests was “not the end of our work, it is ongoing.”
Akil Davis, FBI assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles Field office, said usually investigations into theft rings target “a spoke in a very very large wheel.
“Where this investigation differs is the Major Thefts Task Force …t argeted the entire wheel,” he said.
Originally Published: August 29, 2024 at 9:55 a.m.
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Publish date : 2024-08-29 06:00:00
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