Two conventional-looking hardware stores in suburban Los Angeles were actually elaborate fencing operations for a cargo theft ring that stole products from trains, trucks, and container ships, police said this week.
“Fence” is a law enforcement term for someone who buys and sells stolen goods, acting as a middleman between thieves and buyers to conceal the criminal source of the goods.
According to a report in the Los Angeles Times:
On Wednesday, Police Chief Jim McDonnell announced that the department had busted a massive cargo theft ring operating out of DJ General Tool & Wire’s Montebello and Huntington Park locations. The stolen goods included power tools, e-bikes and appliances from brands such as Dyson, Milwaukee, DeWalt and Makita, police said.
The business’ owner, 41-year-old Dojoon Park of Montebello, was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property, and the L.A. County district attorney’s office intends to file hefty charges.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at a news conference this week, “We are in the process of fully evaluating the crimes that he has committed, and we anticipate charges being brought against him … that will involve maximum sentences of years of state prison time.”
The Union Pacific Police Department and Los Angeles Port Police joined with the LAPD in the investigation, authorities said.
More arrests in the hardware operation are expected, according to police.
The hardware bust represents the latest development in the law enforcement effort against cargo theft operations that have impacted Los Angeles transportation hubs in recent years.
The Port of Los Angeles is one of the world’s busiest seaports and has ranked as the top cargo container port in the United States each year since 2000.
This year, the LAPD reported it recovered nearly $4 million in cargo stolen by one organized crime ring.
McDonnell said the impact of cargo theft doesn’t end with manufacturers of the products.
“It’s also important to remember that cargo theft is not a victimless crime,” Chief McDonnell told the Times. “It affects retailers, distributors and ultimately all of us consumers. Protecting the integrity of our supply chain is vital to public safety as well as the economic stability of Los Angeles.”
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of the Los Angeles-based crime novel Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
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