LOS ANGELES — A San Fernando Valley man pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges involving his role in a “crime tourism” ring that dispatched thieves from Central and South America to various parts of the United States to shoplift, burglarize homes and businesses, and steal credit cards before laundering millions of dollars in illicit proceeds.
Miguel Barajas, 59, of Northridge, entered a plea to three charges: conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and structuring transactions to evade financial reporting requirements.
Sentencing was scheduled for Nov. 16.
According to the 46-count indictment, the scheme was run by Juan Carlos Thola-Duran and his girlfriend, Ana Maria Arriagada, both of Santa Clarita. The couple operated a car rental business called Driver Power Rentals.
From 2018 to July 2024, Thola-Duran directed crime groups from Central and South America to travel to various parts of the United States to commit thefts, using cars provided by DPR, the indictment filed in Los Angeles federal court states.
After the thefts, Thola-Duran, 58, and Arriagada, 42, ordered associates who stole credit cards to immediately go to stores such as Target, Best Buy and Home Depot to max out the cards by purchasing electronics, gift cards, designer purses and other high-end luxury goods before the pilfered cards could be canceled, according to the indictment, which names seven defendants.
Thola-Duran then arranged for the thieves to deliver stolen goods to Barajas and associates at DPR or to mail the products to accomplices at a FedEx store in Sherman Oaks, prosecutors say.
Barajas and other co-defendants picked up the parcels and delivered them to Thola-Duran and others, with Thola-Duran acting as a fence to buy the goods at a fraction of their retail value, according to the indictment.
Federal prosecutors contend Thola-Duran sold the stolen goods to other buyers for about $5.5 million over the course of the conspiracy, including $5.1 million sent to various bank accounts controlled by accomplices.
Arriagada and Thola-Duran are suspected of using the proceeds of the thefts to purchase assets such as real estate and horses, and allegedly structured cash withdrawals to avoid triggering the requirement that banks report transactions exceeding $10,000 to the U.S. Treasury Department.
The indictment also alleges that Thola-Duran and others conspired to fraudulently obtain $274,998 in COVID-19 business relief loans.
Thola-Duran is scheduled for trial in August. Arriagada pleaded guilty in June 2025 to charges of wire fraud, receipt of stolen property, money laundering, and structuring transactions, and is awaiting sentencing.
Related Articles
Man steals $1,700 in caviar from Whole Foods in Irvine, police say Shop supervisor admits to embezzling more than $1 million from the Claremont Colleges Spectrum offers up to $25,000 reward for information after cables cut in Jurupa Valley How your key fob could help a thief steal your car Glendale doctor indicted, accused of submitting more than $45 million in bogus claims to Medicare for Botox injectionsHence then, the article about northridge man pleads guilty to crime tourism related charges was published today ( ) and is available on Los Angeles Daily News ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Northridge man pleads guilty to ‘crime tourism’-related charges )
Also on site :