7 accused in $5 million ‘crime tourism’ theft ring primarily based out of Van Nuys

A Santa Clarita Valley man accused of operating a crew of “crime tourism” thieves from South America tied to burglaries and thefts throughout the nation that led to greater than $5 million in illicit proceeds was amongst seven individuals taken into custody early Wednesday, August 28, to face a 46-count federal indictment, regulation enforcement leaders introduced.

A grand jury indictment that was unsealed alleges that Juan Carlos Thola-Duran and 6 different co-defendants dedicated a large number of federal crimes, together with wire fraud, cash laundering, conspiracy and structuring transactions to keep away from federal monetary reporting necessities.

Crime tourism theft teams, in line with regulation enforcement officers in an announcement, are comprised of people from outdoors the nation, usually from South America, who enter the United States and “have interaction in burglaries, thefts and different crimes.”

The fruits of the thefts are shared with “facilitators and co-conspirators” that help them, prosecutors mentioned. Thola-Duran and his co-defendants are accused of getting been amongst such facilitators, with federal prosecutors describing them as performing as “quarterbacks for a staff of thieves.”

3 males from Chile arrested in Irvine on suspicion of conspiracy to commit housebreaking

The indictment alleges that Thola-Duran, a 57-year-old resident of the Canyon Country within the Santa Clarita Valley, and his live-in girlfriend, 41-year-old Ana Maria Arriagada, operated Driver Power Rentals, a Van Nuys-based automotive enterprise.

From at the least January 2018 to July 2024, the indictment alleges, Thola-Duran directed members of crime tourism teams to journey to numerous components of the United States to commit thefts. That included, prosecutors say, shoplifting, residential and industrial burglaries and credit-card thefts.

Thola-Duran and Arriagada offered the thieves with autos from Driver Power Rentals, prosecutors allege, and organized for them to ship stolen items to associates on the firm. Thola-Duran additionally acted as a fence, prosecutors allege, keen to purchase the illicitly obtained items at a fraction of their retail worth.

Thola-Duran then offered the stolen items to different consumers, prosecutors allege, for roughly $5.5 million over the course of the conspiracy. Thola-Duran and his co-defendants used the cash to purchase actual property and horses, amongst different belongings, in line with the indictment.

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