By Mike Harris Thursday, August 29th, 2024

Six people were arrested Aug. 28 for allegedly being part of a crime tourism group which operated nationwide, including in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

The group allegedly engaged in burglaries, thefts, and other crimes, then laundered millions of dollars in illicit proceeds, law enforcement officials announced.

Crime tourism theft groups are comprised of individuals, often originating from outside of the U.S., including from South America, who engage in burglaries, thefts, and other crimes throughout the U.S. 

The six alleged members of the Southern California crime tourism group were named in a 46-count federal grand jury indictment returned on Aug. 1 and unsealed Aug. 28.

The indictment alleges that Juan Carlos Thola-Duran, 57,  of Canyon Country in Los Angeles County, facilitated the group consisting of South Americans and others.

Thefts occurred nationwide, including in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, according to the indictment.

The indictment also alleges that the group conspired to commit wire fraud throughout Southern California, including in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

“Crime tourism is a major problem impacting not just Southern California, but our entire nation,” Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said in a press release announcing the arrests.

Ventura County Sheriff James Fryhoff said that since 2019, his office has arrested more than 130 suspects in alleged crime tourism crimes.

Fryhoff’s office partnered with the FBI, creating the Ventura County Major Theft Task Force, he said.

“This task force has been instrumental in pursuing federal charges against Thola-Duran and other members of his criminal organization,” Fryhoff said.

According to the indictment, Thola-Duran and his live-in girlfriend, Ana Maria Arriagada, controlled and operated Driver Power Rentals, a Van Nuys-based car rental dealership whose vehicles the defendants used to commit their crimes.

From at least January 2018 to July 2024, Thola-Duran directed associates, often members of crime tourism theft groups, to travel to various parts of the U.S. to commit thefts, according to the indictment.

The thefts included shoplifting goods from stores, burglarizing residences, and commercial businesses, and stealing victims’ credit cards and debit cards, the indictment charges.

Also indicted were Miguel Angel Barajas, 57, of Northridge, John Carlo Thola, 33, of Canoga Park, Patricia Enderton, Federico Jorge Triebel IV, and Driver Power Rentals.

If convicted, the defendants will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud and money laundering-related count, up to 10 years in prison for each structuring count, and up to five years in prison for the conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate count.

“Taking down a key operator who fueled crime tourism is essential to neighborhood safety, and I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Estrada and his team for aggressively prosecuting this network,” Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said.