Seven people have been arrested in California for his or her position in working against the law tourism ring that offered automobiles for thieves to make use of whereas conducting their unlawful enterprise, federal authorities stated.
In accordance with a launch from the Division of Justice, Juan Carlos Thola-Duran, 57, and his girlfriend, Ana Maria Arriagada, 41, operated Driver Energy Leases (DPR) within the Los Angeles neighborhood, Van Nuys. The enterprise offered automobiles for criminals, who typically originated from South America and elsewhere, to make use of whereas committing crimes throughout the U.S.
The seven people are going through a number of federal felony costs, together with wire fraud, cash laundering, conspiracy and structuring transactions to keep away from monetary reporting necessities.
Within the indictment, obtained by Fox Information Digital, Thola-Duran allegedly directed associates to commit thefts, together with shoplifting items from shops, burglarizing residences and industrial companies, and stealing victims’ bank cards and debit playing cards from not less than Jan. 2018 to July 2024.
‘DANGEROUS’ SUSPECTED ANTIFA SYMPATHIZER PLEADS GUILTY TO DETONATING NAIL-FILLED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE
The group of seven have been arrested for his or her position in a Los Angeles-based “crime tourism” ring. (U.S. Legal professional for the Central District of California)
Authorities alleged that Thola-Duran and Arriagada directed co-conspirators to take the stolen credit score and debit playing cards and to right away go to shops resembling Goal, Greatest Purchase, The Residence Depot, and others to max out the stolen playing cards by buying electronics, present playing cards, designer purses and different high-end luxurious items earlier than the stolen playing cards could possibly be frozen or canceled.
The indictment alleges that Thola-Duran organized for the thieves to ship or mail the stolen items to different co-conspirators and again to DPR.
Authorities stated that Thola-Duran acted as a “fence” between different conspirators and acquired the stolen items at a fraction of their retail worth to pay the thieves a share of the merchandise’s retail worth.
Authorities stated that Thola-Duran procured an astounding $5.5 million over the course of the conspiracy, which included roughly $5.1 million despatched to varied financial institution accounts.
Thola-Duran and Arriagada allegedly bought, with their stolen funds, actual property and horses, the indictment stated.
Together with operating against the law ring, the indictment alleges that Thola-Duran and others from Could 2020 to June 2021 conspired to fraudulently acquire $274,998 in COVID-19 enterprise reduction loans.
Juan Carlos Thola-Duran, 57, and his girlfriend, Ana Maria Arriagada, 41, operated Driver Energy Leases (DPR) in Los Angeles, California. (FOX 11)
The investigation, which included a number of businesses together with LAPD, the US Legal professional’s Workplace, and the FBI, spanned a number of years.
“Since 2019, we have arrested over 130 suspects responsible for perpetrating these crimes, with the vast majority using cars supplied by Driver Power Rentals,” Ventura County Sheriff James Fryhoff stated within the press launch.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Driver Power Rentals provided cars that were allegedly used to take high-end merchandise and jewelry from Ventura County homeowners,” stated Ventura County District Legal professional Erik Nasarenko. “Taking down a key operator who fueled crime tourism is essential to neighborhood safety, and I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Estrada and his team for aggressively prosecuting this network.”
If convicted, the defendants would face a most sentence of 20 years in federal jail for every wire fraud- and cash laundering-related rely, as much as 10 years in federal jail for every structuring rely, and as much as 5 years in federal jail for the conspiracy to move stolen property interstate.
Fox Information Digital has reached out to the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace, Central District of California, for remark.
