Massive Home Depot Crime Ring Brought to Justice
Introduction to the Crime Ring
For years, a sophisticated retail crime ring plundered Home Depots across Southern California, pulling off more than 600 thefts and netting an estimated $10 million worth of merchandise without consequences — until now, authorities said. On Tuesday, the Ventura County district attorney’s office announced the filing of a 48-count criminal complaint against nine alleged key players in what Home Depot says is the largest targeted theft ring in the business’ history.
The Scope of the Crime Ring
The retail crime ring targeted 71 Home Depot locations in Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, sometimes hitting the same stores multiple times a day, prosecutors allege. Goods that were stolen from Home Depot locations were allegedly fenced by David Ahl through Arya Wholesale, his Tarzana business. (Ventura County district attorney’s office)
Operation Kill Switch
Several law enforcement agencies worked together to take down the theft crew through “Operation Kill Switch,” which arrested 14 people on Aug. 14, nine of whom have since been charged, authorities said. The criminal enterprise was allegedly led by David Ahl of Woodland Hills, who faces 45 felony counts, including conspiracy, organized retail theft, grand theft, receiving stolen property and money laundering, prosecutors said. If convicted as charged, he faces up to 32 years in prison.
The Fencing Operation
Ahl is accused of directing theft crews to seize high-value items at Home Depots — such as breakers, dimmers, switches and outlets — that he would then resell through his electronics storefront in Tarzana in a technique known as fencing. “His crews of thieves, known as boosters, stole merchandise from the Home Depot’s stores, sometimes hitting every Home Depot in Ventura County in a single day,” said Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff at Tuesday’s news conference. “Then the boosters would deliver the stolen items in trash bags or Home Depot boxes to his business or to his home, where he paid them in cash.”
Family Involvement
The crime ring was, in part, a family affair, prosecutors said. Ahl’s brother-in-law, Omid Abrishamkar of Calabasas, is accused of helping sell the stolen merchandise through EBay and faces 11 felony counts related to money laundering and reselling stolen property. Ahl’s ex-wife, Lorena Solis of Downey, is accused of getting in on the action by running a nearly identical fencing business in the Los Angeles area alongside her partner, Enrique Neira Moreno of Downey. They each face eight felony counts.
The Boosters
Five prolific boosters in the ring were also arrested and face felony charges, authorities said. They include Jose Banuelos Guerrero of South Gate, Edwin Rivera of Los Angeles and Eber Bonilla Lopez of Pomona, who are accused of working together to commit thefts on a daily basis, often stealing $6,000 to $10,000 in merchandise at a time, prosecutors said. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said it had seized at least $3.7 million in stolen Home Depot property and more than $800,000 in suspected illicit money from suspects’ accounts. (Ventura County district attorney’s office)
Surveillance Footage
Surveillance camera footage released by the district attorney’s office shows Bonilla-Lopez filling his jacket pockets with electric breakers from a Home Depot and using a pole to swipe boxes full of electrical components from the top shelves. A second alleged boosting crew consisting of Erlin Hernandez Lopez and Denny Gomez, both of Pomona, are charged with three felony counts of conspiracy to commit retail theft.
Estimated Losses and Seizures
Home Depot estimates that the crew is collectively responsible for more than $10 million in stolen merchandise. Since the Aug. 14 arrests, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has seized at least $3.7 million in stolen Home Depot property and more than $800,000 in suspected illicit money from accounts belonging to Ahl and Abrishamkar.
Law Enforcement Response
During Tuesday’s news conference, Fryhoff praised Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) for authoring Assembly Bill 1779, which was signed into law last year and allows retail crimes that occur across multiple counties to be consolidated into a single criminal filing. “Without this law, we would be prosecuting common crimes by the same defendants in multiple jurisdictions, a costly and time-consuming undertaking,” he said. “However, because of this legislation, Ventura County has consolidated the Los Angeles Home Depot theft charges into the 48-count criminal complaint. L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman also praised the bill and said that cracking down on retail crime is a top priority for his office. “This is the start of efforts to go after these large crews,” he said. “They thought they were sophisticated, they thought they could hide. Today’s announcement of these charges shows vastly differently.”
Conclusion
The dismantling of this massive crime ring marks a significant victory for law enforcement in the fight against organized retail theft. The coordination and sophistication of the operation underscore the evolving nature of crime and the need for adaptable and collaborative law enforcement strategies. As authorities continue to crack down on such activities, it serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance and cooperation between businesses, communities, and law enforcement agencies.
FAQs
Q: How many Home Depot locations were targeted by the crime ring?
A: The retail crime ring targeted 71 Home Depot locations across Southern California.
Q: What was the estimated value of the merchandise stolen?
A: The estimated value of the stolen merchandise is over $10 million.
Q: How many people were arrested in Operation Kill Switch?
A: 14 people were arrested on Aug. 14, with nine facing charges.
Q: What law helped in consolidating the charges across multiple counties?
A: Assembly Bill 1779, signed into law last year, allowed for the consolidation of retail crimes across multiple counties into a single criminal filing.
Q: What is the significance of this operation in the context of retail crime?
A: This operation marks a significant effort by law enforcement to crack down on large, sophisticated retail crime rings, highlighting the importance of collaboration and adaptable strategies in combating organized crime.
