Brentwood Homeowners Association News

Crime Ring Targeting Brentwood Busted

Law enforcement today arrested six people on a 46-count indictment for facilitating a crime tourism group who engaged in burglaries, thefts, and other crimes, then laundered millions of dollars.

US Attorney Martin Estrada remarks from today's press conference: 

"My office, the United States Attorney's Office, is taking this issue very seriously. Now, we generally do not prosecute home burglaries. That is something generally outside of our jurisdiction. What we can do, what we do very well, is go after criminal organizations. And what we've learned is that there are organized criminal groups that are helping to facilitate and organize crime tourism. That's what we're here to talk about today.

The announcement we make today is about a criminal conspiracy that acted as an organizer and facilitator for crime tourism from South America. This group essentially acted as a lynch pin for South American crime tourists who wanted to come to our country, take advantage of our liberties, to steal from the American people. This group not just facilitated crime tourism, but in many cases, actively directed.

The charges we announced today are against a group of defendants who ran a rental car business in Los Angeles. This was no ordinary car rental business. This business catered only to crooks.

Here is how the operation would work: crime tourists would go to this car rental business. There, they'd be provided with a vehicle. They would also be directed, since many of them were not familiar with the country, to where to go to commit acts of crime and theft. In fact, the defendants insisted that these crime tourists present them with false identifications. If you came to them with a legitimate ID, they would turn you away, and that's how they tried to keep some sort of distance from the crimes that were occurring.

Once the crime tourists had gone across the country and stolen merchandise, money, credit cards, debit cards, they would send much of that back to the defendants. The defendants would then fence or sell that merchandise and take a percentage of the profits. They would also have the crime tourists use the stolen credit cards and debit cards to purchase gift cards at places like Best Buy and Target. The defendants would take these gift cards and then go and purchase themselves electronics and other high end items.

In this way, the defendants acted essentially as quarterbacks for a massive team of eager thieves. Just to give you an idea of the scope of this issue, just during the period of our investigation, from 2018 to 2024, we found that this particular group of facilitators helped to organize and facilitate about 120 burglaries or thefts around the country. These thefts occurred in at least 80 cities throughout our country.

The defendants received about $5.5 million from these thefts, but the losses to individuals and businesses are well north of $35 million. The defendants helped these crime tourists commit crimes throughout our region – Los Angeles County, Orange County, Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, and also throughout our state from the San Francisco bay area all the way down to San Diego

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We charged seven defendants in this case, six individuals and one business, their car rental business, known as Drive Power Rental. They are facing serious federal charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to transport stolen goods.

The lead defendants are Juan Carlos Thola and Ana Arriagada, and they are facing maximum sentences of 335 years and 290 years, respectively, in federal prison. Our message to crime tourists is this: your days are numbered. We are working collaboratively with our local partners to address this problem.

In addition to this case we announced today, over the past year we’ve filed over two dozen cases as crime tourists from Romania who committed identity theft against EBT funds. These are funds meant for those in poverty, those who need public benefits. Our state has lost tens of millions of dollars as a result. In another case that we indicted this week, we indicted two South American crime tourists who committed a armed robbery in Beverly Hills, stole a watch worth $1 million, committed the crime in broad daylight in front of the victim's family, and were found in possession of a gun that used to belong to the serial killer, Christopher Dorner.

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We will continue to collaborate with our local partners to bring serious federal charges against these crime tourists. In conclusion, let me say this: this country has always prized freedom. Our liberties and opportunities are the envy of the world. That is why our country is a beacon of hope across the globe and why people have always wanted to come to this country for a better life.

But we are no safe harbor for criminals. Those thinking they can come to our country, take advantage of our liberties and steal from the American people should think again. There will be serious consequences for those people, and we will collaborate with our local partners in creative ways to make sure we are holding you accountable."