Ventura County deputies arrest brothers in alleged ‘organized retail theft spree’
Two brothers from Los Angeles were arrested in connection with organized retail thefts in Ventura County of jewelry valued at more than $21,500, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department announced Jan. 12.
Vardan Gevorgyan, 30, of North Hollywood, and Raphael Gevorgyan, 37, of Van Nuys, were arrested Jan. 7 in Los Angeles by Ventura County sheriff’s deputies and booked into the Ventura County jail on suspicion of two counts of grand theft.
They are suspects in a series of thefts from seven different department store locations in Southern California, including one in Moorpark and one in Simi Valley, with losses totaling more than $124,000, according to a Ventura County Sheriff’s Department news release.
The Sheriff’s Department news release described the case as “an ongoing organized retail theft spree throughout Southern California, over the past several months.”
On Nov. 16, patrol deputies from the Moorpark sheriff’s station responded to a reported jewelry theft at an area department store. “Deputies determined that a lone suspect disabled a security cable that was affixed to a large jewelry display case and carried the entire display case out of the store and into an awaiting vehicle that was parked directly in front of the exit doors,” the Sheriff’s Department said. Store management estimated jewelry in the display case to be worth more than $21,500.
Sheriff’s detectives believe the person who removed the jewelry case was Vardan Gevorgyan, working in conjunction with his brother. They also believe the brothers are responsible for similar thefts at other locations of the same department store, including one in Simi Valley.
Bail has been set at $75,000 for each of the brothers, the Sheriff’s Department stated.
