Ventura County officials on Tuesday announced that nine people have been charged in what they’re calling the largest Home Depot theft case in the nation.
Sheriff James Fryhoff told KTLA’s Annie Rose Ramos that the thieves took more than $10 million worth of merchandise from more than 70 Home Depot stores during more than 500 thefts in the past five or six months alone.
About $3.7 million in merchandise was recovered in raids earlier this month, but the rest of the stolen loot was likely sold, either to contractors or other businesses for cash or, in some cases, sold on Amazon or eBay.
“The level of sophistication for this crew is something that we’ve never seen … They were stealing daily. They never took a day off,” Fryhoff said.
Fryhoff said the crew hit every Home Depot in Ventura County every day, taking $6,000 to $10,000 in merchandise each time.
But it wasn’t just Ventura County that was hit, Fryhoff added.
“From San Luis Obispo south, this went all the way to San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino counties,” he said. “This crew was relentless in their willingness to steal from all of our businesses and then sell it on either eBay or Amazon or out of their warehouse for straight cash.”
Officials identified the alleged ringleader as 59-year-old David Ahl of Woodland Hills, “who is accused of directing theft crews to steal high-end electrical merchandise, such as dimmer switches, circuit breakers, and outlets, that he then resold through Arya Wholesale, his Tarzana business,” according to a news release from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
He faces 45 felony counts, including grand theft, organized retail theft, criminal conspiracy and money laundering, and he is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.
Also charged are three of his associates:
- Omid Abrishamkar, a 35-year-old from Calabasas, Ahl’s brother-in-law who faces 11 felony counts
- Lorena Solis, a 54-year-old from Downey, Ahl’s ex-wife who faces eight felony counts
- Enrique Neira Moreno, a 59-year-old from Downey, is Solis’ current partner who also faces eight felony counts
Those accused of being in the organized theft crews are:
- Jose Banuelos Guerroro, a 60-year-old from South Gate
- Edwin Rivera, a 32-year-old from Los Angeles
- Eber Bonilla-Lopez, a 39-year-old from Pomona
- Erlin Lopez-Hernandez, a 28-year-old from Pomona
- Denny Gomez, a 33-year-old from Pomona
All five alleged members of the theft crews face felony charges including grand theft, organized retail theft and conspiracy.
Bonilla-Lopez is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail, while the others’ bail has been set at $250,000 each.
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