At least a dozen people were arrested earlier this month by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office on suspicion of stealing about $150,000 worth of retail merchandise as part of an organized crime ring, authorities said Thursday.
Authorities did not offer many details Thursday on how their investigation pinpointed the suspects. The Sheriff’s Office said that it served search warrants April 9 at two homes in San Jose, recovering approximately $110,000 worth of stolen merchandise from Home Depot and about $40,000 worth of stolen products from Target, Kohl’s, Lowes, Macy’s and Sunglass Hut.
The stolen items included various hardware supplies and appliances, boxes of recessed lights and wine, authorities said. Some of the items were found stashed in garbage bins and in the trunk of a car.
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Officials with Home Depot also aided the Sheriff’s Office in the investigation, the sheriff’s office said. Authorities arrested a dozen people between the ages of 30 and 57; documents from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office indicated that 13 people were charged in the case.
Prosecutors said in the court documents that the group had been operating from Dec. 1, 2023 up until their arrest on April 9, pointing to homes on N. Capitol Avenue and Barlow Avenue as their alleged bases. Over several months, authorities said, the suspects stole merchandise valued from a few hundred dollars to up to $3,000 at a time.
According to documents from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, the thirteen suspects were charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, as well as charges of organized retail theft and grand theft. Two of the suspects were charged with recruiting or coordinating another person to steal retail items or hold stolen items. Another suspect was also charged with buying or receiving stolen property.
One of the suspects was also arrested and charged in connection to the kidnapping and torture of a man in San Jose.