South American crime tourism crew stole $24M in nationwide luxury heists operating from bogus car rental: feds

A California antheral has admitted to moving a cross-country "crime tourism" ringing that provided fraudulent conveyance rentals for overseas thieves to usage arsenic they stole astir $24 cardinal successful luxury goods. 

Juan Carlos "Pacero" Thola-Duran, 59, pleaded blameworthy to 1 number of conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud, to person and transport stolen spot interstate, and to perpetrate wealth laundering, and 1 number of structuring transactions to debar national fiscal reporting requirements successful national tribunal Monday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Prosecutors revealed Thola-Duran worked alongside then-girlfriend Ana Maria Arriagada to make the fabricated, Van Nuys-based rental car service, Driver Power Rentals (DPR). 

Arriagada was listed arsenic the company’s registered owner, according to national officials. She pleaded blameworthy to 4 felonies successful transportation with the lawsuit past year, the DOJ said.

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Several radical were arrested for their alleged engagement successful a Los Angeles-based "crime tourism" ring, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. (Department of Justice)

Operating nether the guise of the pair’s falsified business, Thola-Duran directed associates – who were often members of transgression tourism theft groups from South America – to question passim the United States to "commit thefts, including shoplifting goods from stores, burglarizing residences and commercialized businesses, and stealing victims’ recognition cards and debit cards," prosecutors said. 

Thola-Duran and Arriagada past provided vehicles licensed nether DPR to the assorted co-conspirators truthful they could question to and from the burglaries, portion instructing them to usage fake identities to marque the rental agreements look legitimate. 

"Thola-Duran and Arriagada directed the thief co-conspirators who stole recognition oregon debit cards to instantly spell to stores specified arsenic Target, Best Buy, The Home Depot and others to max retired the stolen cards by purchasing electronics, acquisition cards, decorator purses and different high-end luxury goods earlier the stolen cards could beryllium frozen oregon cancelled," prosecutors said.

CRIME TOURISM GROUP OPERATING OUT OF LA CAR RENTAL FACILITY STOLE MILLIONS IN HEISTS, HOME THEFTS, FEDS SAY

A surveillance representation shared by Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer shows a brace of masked thieves breaking into a California home. Authorities accidental the thieves successful this representation were tied to Juan Carlos "Pacero" Thola-Duran’s "crime tourism" ringing operating retired of Van Nuys. (Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer)

The thieves would aboriginal beryllium instructed to present oregon message the items to co-conspirators, who would past bring them to Thola-Duran. 

Prosecutors said Thola-Duran would enactment arsenic a "fence" to acquisition the items for a discounted complaint and wage the thieves a information of the sales. 

The items were past sold to different buyers, with Thola-Duran raking successful astatine slightest $5,758,655 from assorted fences, including astir $5.2 cardinal from the slope accounts of a Van Nuys electronics exporter.

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Juan Carlos Thola-Duran, 57, and his girlfriend, Ana Maria Arriagada, 41, operated Driver Power Rentals (DPR) successful Los Angeles, California. (FOX 11)

Additionally, Thola-Duran, Arriagada and others worked unneurotic to fraudulently get astir $250,000 successful COVID-19 concern alleviation loans, authorities said. 

Thola-Duran and his accomplices utilized the wealth to acquisition assorted assets, including existent property and horses, according to prosecutors.

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The thieves besides worked to lone retreat wealth from their accounts successful $10,000 increments, successful an effort to forestall banks from reporting the amounts – arsenic required by national law. 

Prosecutors revealed Thola-Duran’s strategy impacted astatine slightest 37 victims and resulted successful astir $23.9 cardinal successful losses.

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Two alleged co-defendants, Patricia Enderton, 45, and Federico Jorge Triebel IV, 79, pleaded not blameworthy successful the lawsuit and are acceptable to spell to proceedings aboriginal this year. 

Thola-Duran faces the anticipation of up to 55 years successful national situation erstwhile helium appears for sentencing successful the coming months, the DOJ said.

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His blameworthy plea is the 4th to beryllium secured by national prosecutors successful this case, with 7 individuals facing charges stemming from the alleged transgression tourism ring. 

"Since 2019, we person arrested implicit 130 suspects liable for perpetrating these crimes, with the immense bulk utilizing cars supplied by Driver Power Rentals," Ventura County Sheriff James Fryhoff said successful a erstwhile property release.

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"These criminals were moving a burglary cognition with a sophistication that rivals Amazon," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer antecedently said successful a connection astir these transgression rings. "Instead of dispatching transportation drivers, they were dispatching trained thieves passim Southern California to bargain from what should beryllium wherever we are safest -- our homes."

The DOJ did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital’s petition for comment. 

Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.