Crime tourism group operating out of LA car rental facility busted by FBI

International 'crime tourism' ring busted in SoCal

FBI agents busted what they called a "crime tourism" ring based out of a Van Nuys car rental business, that facilitated criminals from South America.

LOS ANGELES - Multiple people have been charged with operating a burglary tourism ring in the San Fernando Valley.

The seven defendants were charged with multiple felony offenses, including wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy, and structuring transactions to avoid federal financial reporting requirements.

According to an indictment, Juan Carlos Thola-Duran, 57, and his girlfriend, Ana Maria Arriagada, 41, operated Driver Power Rentals (DPR), a Van Nuys-based car rental business.

Organized crime ring busted in LA: FULL PRESS CONFERENCE

Multiple law enforcement agencies busted a massive organized crime ring operating throughout Southern California.

According to the Department of Justice, from at least January 2018 to July 2024, Thola-Duran directed associates, often members of a South American crime tourism theft group, to travel to various parts of the US to commit thefts, including shoplifting, burglarizing homes and commercial businesses, and stealing victims’ credit cards and debit cards.

Thola-Duran, Arriagada, and DPR provided vehicles for the suspects to use while committing these crimes.

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SkyFOX over Van Nuys Car Deals and More located at 15205 Roscoe Blvd

According to the DOJ, in order to make the car rentals appear legitimate and maintain anonymity, they required their co-conspirators to provide false identification when renting a vehicle for DPR’s records.

Thola-Duran and Arriagada directed people to steal credit or debit cards and immediately go to stores such as Target, Best Buy, The Home Depot, to max out the stolen cards by purchasing electronics, gift cards, designer purses and other high-end luxury goods before the stolen cards could be frozen or cancelled.

Thola-Duran then had the thieves deliver the stolen goods to associates at DPR or mail them to other co-conspirators. Other defendants would then pick up the packages and deliver them to Thola-Duran and other conspirators.

"Thola-Duran then acted as a "fence" to buy the goods – at a fraction of their retail value – and pay the thieves a percentage of the items’ value. He then sold the stolen goods to other buyers for approximately $5.5 million over the course of the conspiracy, including approximately $5.1 million sent to various bank accounts controlled by the co-conspirators," the DOJ said in a statement.

The defendants allegedly used their money to purchase real estate and horses.

The indictment further alleges that Thola-Duran, Arriagada, and others from May 2020 to June 2021 conspired to fraudulently obtain $274,998 in COVID-19 business relief loans.

"These crime tourists are coming into the country solely to commit criminal acts," said US Attorney Martin Estrada during a press conference Wednesday.

The investigation, which included multiple agencies including LAPD, the US Attorney's Office, and the FBI, took several years.

"Since 2019, we have arrested over 130 suspects responsible for perpetrating these crimes, with the vast majority using cars supplied by Driver Power Rentals," said Ventura County Sheriff James Fryhoff.

"They spy on our residents to see when they go to work, when they go to bed, how many people live in the house," said Orange County DA Todd Spitzer.

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