SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Eight suspects who organized a statewide operation to steal $1 million worth of products from Apple Stores have been charged and arrested, California's Office of the Attorney General announced Thursday.
According to the AG Office's press release, the thieves stole from Apple Store locations in San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, San Francisco, Marin, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Alameda, Monterey, and Yolo counties.
Investigators say the thefts happened between August 2022 and January 2023. The suspects would enter the stores and hold back employees and customers while stealing retail items. This included thousands of dollars of phones and tablets from each Apple Store, the release says.
Attorney General Rob Bonta says this kind of brazen criminal activity won't be tolerated in California.
“Organized retail theft costs businesses, retailers, and consumers – and puts the public at risk," Bonta says. "I want to thank our law enforcement partners, including the California Highway Patrol, for their work in apprehending these suspects, and for our continued collaborative efforts to end organized retail theft. With these charges, we’re moving forward to hold these defendants accountable."
The Chief of the California Highway Patrol's Golden Gate Division says partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies ultimately led to these arrests and the recovery of stolen products.
“I would like to recognize the incredible work done by all those involved and acknowledge the Attorney General’s Office for their ongoing support and determination to prosecute these cases,” CHP Golden Gate Division Chief Ezery Beauchamp says.
The suspects are facing the following felony charges, the release says:
- Conspiracy to commit retail theft
- Organized retail theft
- Grand theft
- Theft over $500,000
- Aggravated white-collar enhancement
The agencies leading the collaborative investigation included CHP's Organized Retail Theft Crimes Task Force, Oakland Police Department, Riverside Sheriff's Office, the FBI's San Francisco Field Office, and the U.S. Marshal's Office Northern Division.
According to the AG's Office, U.S. retailers lose about $700,000 to organized retail crime for every $1 billion in sales. That data came from a 2020 national survey.
This issue is a "top priority" for California's attorney general, and if you have any complaints or tips regarding retail theft in the state, follow this link.
