California officers filed felony prices in opposition to three males Friday for his or her involvement in a 2023 ID theft scheme that passed off throughout a number of Bay Space counties.
The scheme concerned suspects making use of for retailer bank cards utilizing stolen identities, then utilizing these credit score strains to buy merchandise with no intention of paying them off, in accordance with a press launch from Lawyer Normal Rob Bonta’s workplace.
A 34-count felony grievance was filed in opposition to the trio on prices together with organized retail theft, grand theft and identification theft of 13 victims.
The theft was carried out in Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, and likewise in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
“I am committed to using the full force of the California Department of Justice to fight organized retail crime both in the field and in the courtroom,” Bonta mentioned within the launch. “This was not a one-off shoplifting offense, it was a malicious, coordinated scheme. These crimes hurt our businesses and pose a serious threat to our communities. I am thankful to Signet Jewelers as well as our local and state law enforcement partners for their collaboration in the battle against organized retail crime. We will not give up until we put a stop to this criminal activity all together.”
Between March and July 2023, the boys fraudulently obtained greater than $100,000 value of merchandise from high-end retail shops and Harbor Freight retailers.
The investigation stemmed from a referral from a Signet Jeweler’s company fraud investigator, and was led by the California Division of Justice with collaboration type Homeland Safety Investigations, the Santa Maria Police Division, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division, California Freeway Patrol and the Westminster Police Division.
Initially Printed: April 26, 2025 at 10:42 AM PDT
