Massive Home Depot crime ring pulled off more than 600 SoCal thefts, D.A. says

"Several law enforcement agencies worked together to take down the theft crew through "Operation Kill Switch," which arrested 14 people on Aug. 14, nine of whom have since been charged. The criminal enterprise was allegedly led by David Ahl of Woodland Hills, who now faces 45 felony counts, including conspiracy, organized retail theft, grand theft, receiving stolen property and money laundering, prosecutors said. If convicted as charged, he faces up to 32 years in prison."

"The retail crime ring targeted 71 Home Depot locations in Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, sometimes hitting the same stores multiple times a day, prosecutors allege. Ahl is accused of directing theft crews to seize high-value items at Home Depots - such as breakers, dimmers, switches and outlets - that he would then resell them through his electronics storefront in Tarzana in a technique known as fencing."

""His crews of thieves, known as boosters, stole merchandise from the Home Depot's stores, sometimes hitting every Home Depot in Ventura County in a single day," said Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff at Tuesday's news conference. "Then the boosters would deliver the stolen items in trash bags or Home Depot boxes to his business or to his home, where he paid them in cash.""

A sophisticated retail crime ring carried out more than 600 thefts from 71 Home Depot locations across Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, seizing an estimated $10 million in merchandise. Several law enforcement agencies executed "Operation Kill Switch," arresting 14 people on Aug. 14, with nine charged in a 48-count criminal complaint. David Ahl of Woodland Hills is accused of leading the enterprise, faces 45 felony counts including conspiracy and money laundering, and faces up to 32 years if convicted. The ring targeted high-value electrical items that were fenced through an electronics storefront in Tarzana, with boosters paid in cash. The crime ring was partly a family affair.

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