Crime tourism group operating out of LA car rental facility stole millions in heists, home thefts, feds say
Seven individuals were arrested in California for their role in operating a crime tourism ring that provided vehicles for thieves to use while conducting their illegal business, federal authorities said.
According to a release from the Department of Justice, Juan Carlos Thola-Duran, 57, and his girlfriend, Ana Maria Arriagada, 41, operated Driver Power Rentals (DPR) in the Los Angeles neighborhood, Van Nuys. The business provided vehicles for criminals, who often originated from South America and elsewhere, to use while committing crimes across the U.S.
The seven individuals are facing multiple federal criminal charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and structuring transactions to avoid financial reporting requirements.
In the indictment, obtained by Fox News Digital, Thola-Duran allegedly directed associates to commit thefts, including shoplifting goods from stores, burglarizing residences and commercial businesses, and stealing victims’ credit cards and debit cards from at least Jan. 2018 to July 2024.
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Authorities alleged that Thola-Duran and Arriagada directed co-conspirators to take the stolen credit and debit cards and to immediately go to stores such as Target, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others to max out the stolen cards by purchasing electronics, gift cards, designer purses and other high-end luxury goods before the stolen cards could be frozen or canceled.
The indictment alleges that Thola-Duran arranged for the thieves to deliver or mail the stolen goods to other co-conspirators and back to DPR.
Authorities said that Thola-Duran acted as a "fence" between other conspirators and bought the stolen goods at a fraction of their retail value to pay the thieves a percentage of the item's retail value.
Authorities said that Thola-Duran procured an astounding $5.5 million over the course of the conspiracy, which included approximately $5.1 million sent to various bank accounts.
Thola-Duran and Arriagada allegedly purchased, with their stolen funds, real estate and horses, the indictment said.
Along with running a crime ring, the indictment alleges that Thola-Duran and others from May 2020 to June 2021 conspired to fraudulently obtain $274,998 in COVID-19 business relief loans.
The investigation, which included multiple agencies including LAPD, the US Attorney's Office, and the FBI, spanned several years.
"Since 2019, we have arrested over 130 suspects responsible for perpetrating these crimes, with the vast majority using cars supplied by Driver Power Rentals," Ventura County Sheriff James Fryhoff said in the press release.
"Driver Power Rentals provided cars that were allegedly used to take high-end merchandise and jewelry from Ventura County homeowners," said Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. "Taking down a key operator who fueled crime tourism is essential to neighborhood safety, and I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Estrada and his team for aggressively prosecuting this network."
If convicted, the defendants would face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud- and money laundering-related count, up to 10 years in federal prison for each structuring count, and up to five years in federal prison for the conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California, for comment.