“Kudos to the investigating agencies, agents and officers for putting a stop to this organized crime.  This type of greed and criminal activity can impact individuals, consumers and businesses.”

– CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

LOS ANGELES – On April 25, 2025, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the filing of felony charges against three people involved in a suspected identity theft mill, where stolen identities were utilized in an organized retail crime scheme. The scheme involved suspects applying for store credit cards using stolen identities, then using those credit lines to purchase merchandise with no intention to pay them back. The scheme was carried out in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara 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,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “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.”

It is alleged that from March 2023 to July 2023, the defendants fraudulently obtained more than $100,000 worth of merchandise from high end retail stores and Harbor Freight retailers.This investigation began with a referral from a Signet Jeweler’s corporate fraud investigator, and was led by the California Department of Justice (DOJ) with collaboration form Homeland Security Investigations, Santa Maria Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol and Westminster Police department.  
 
As a result of the investigation, California DOJ filed a 34-count felony complaint against three defendants. The charges include organized retail theft, grand theft, and identity theft of 13 victims.

A copy of the criminal complaint in this case is available here.