SoCal man rented cars to thieves for a share of their stolen goods, federal prosecutors say - BERITAJA

A Canyon Country man has pleaded blameworthy to participating successful a wide “crime tourism” theft ringing responsible for millions of dollars successful losses crossed the United States.

Juan Carlos Thola Duran, 59, admitted Monday to starring a strategy that enabled organized theft crews pinch a mostly walking from South America to thief transportation retired burglaries, unit thefts, and fraud successful Southern California and crossed aggregate states, according to national prosecutors. The cognition is estimated to person resulted successful astatine slightest $23.9 cardinal successful losses.

At the halfway of the cognition was a Van Nuys-based car rental business, Diver Power Rentals, which officials opportunity was utilized to proviso vehicles to theft crews while helping conceal their identities. Participants were allegedly required to supply mendacious recognition to make rentals look legitimate.

Once unit members obtained stolen in installments aliases debit cards, they were directed to “immediately spell to stores specified arsenic Target, Best Buy, and The Home Depot” to quickly walk arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable earlier the cards could beryllium stiff aliases canceled, according to prosecutors.

The stolen merchandise including electronics, gift cards, and designer purses was past funneled backmost done associates and resold.

That’s wherever Thola-Duran entered the image arsenic a “fence,” purchasing stolen equipment astatine a fraction of their worth and reselling them for profit.

In summation to the theft scheme, authorities opportunity the group fraudulently obtained about $275,000 successful COVID-19 alleviation costs and utilized illicit net to get assets specified arsenic existent estate, vehicles, and different luxury items.

Investigators besides recovered that Thola-Duran system rate withdrawals to debar national reporting requirements, many times withdrawing amounts nether $10,000.

Prosecutors charged Thola-Duran pinch conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud, to person and carrier stolen spot interstate, and to perpetrate money laundering, and structuring transactions to debar national financial reporting requirements. He faces a maximum condemnation of 55 years successful national prison, pinch sentencing scheduled for November.

His co-defendant and erstwhile partner, Ana María Arriagada, antecedently pleaded blameworthy and is awaiting sentencing, while 2 different defendants are group to spell to proceedings later this year.