"Thola-Duran operated out of a made-up car rental company, Driver Power Rentals, which he controlled with his then-partner, Ana María Arriagada, out of Van Nuys."
"Prosecutors described Thola-Duran as the lead figure behind a scheme that relied on South American 'crime tourism' crews traveling to the U.S. to carry out burglaries."
"Once credit or debit cards were stolen, crews were told to move quickly to stores like Target and Best Buy to 'max out the stolen credit and debit cards' on high-end goods."
Juan Carlos Thola-Duran operated a crime tourism network that funneled millions in stolen goods through Southern California. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges involving wire fraud, transporting stolen property, and money laundering. The scheme, active from 2018 to 2024, affected at least 37 victims, resulting in over $23.9 million in losses. Thola-Duran has been in custody since August 2024 and agreed to forfeit assets. He faces up to 55 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for November 18. Co-conspirators used false identification to rent vehicles for theft operations.
Read at SFGATE
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