Federal authorities announced that seven people have been arrested in California for allegedly running a criminal tourism ring that provided vehicles for thieves to use in conducting their illegal business.
According to an announcement from Department of Justice, Juan Carlos Tola Duran, 57, and his girlfriend Ana Maria Arriagada, 41, ran Driver Power Rentals (DPR) in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles. The business provided vehicles for criminals from South America and elsewhere to use in committing crimes across the United States.
The seven face multiple federal criminal charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and structuring transactions to evade financial reporting requirements.
According to the indictment, obtained by Fox News Digital, from at least January 2018 through July 2024, Thora Duran allegedly directed his associates to commit thefts, including shoplifting from stores, breaking into residential and commercial establishments and stealing victims' credit and debit cards.
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The seven were arrested for their roles in a Los Angeles-based “criminal tourism” ring. (United States Attorney for the Central District of California)
Authorities allege that Tola-Duran and Arriagada instructed their co-conspirators to immediately take the stolen credit and debit cards to stores such as Target, Best Buy and Home Depot and spend the stolen cards up to their credit limits by purchasing electronics, gift cards, designer bags and other luxury items before the cards were frozen or disabled.
According to the indictment, Tola Duran arranged for the thieves to deliver or mail the stolen items to other co-conspirators, who would then return them to DPR.
Authorities said Thora Duran acted as a “fence” between the conspirators, purchasing the stolen goods at a fraction of the retail price and paying the thieves a percentage of the retail price.
Authorities say Sola Duran raised a staggering $5.5 million through the conspiracy, including approximately $5.1 million wired to various bank accounts.
According to the indictment, Tola Duran and Arriagada are accused of purchasing real estate and horses with the stolen funds.
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In addition to operating a criminal enterprise, the indictment alleges that between May 2020 and June 2021, Tora-Duran and others conspired to fraudulently obtain $274,998 in COVID-19 related business relief loans..
Juan Carlos Tola Duran, 57, and his girlfriend Ana Maria Arriagada, 41, ran Driver Power Rentals (DPR) in Los Angeles, California. (FOX11)
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI, and took place over several years.
“Since 2019, we have arrested more than 130 suspects committing these crimes, the majority of which were using vehicles provided by Driver Power Rentals,” Ventura County Sheriff James Freihof said in a press release.
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“Driver Power Rentals provided vehicles that were allegedly used to steal luxury items and jewelry from homeowners in Ventura County,” said Ventura County District Attorney Eric Nasarenko. “Taking down the key players fueling criminal tourism is essential to the safety of our communities, and I thank U.S. Attorney Estrada and his team for aggressively prosecuting this network.”
If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the wire fraud and money laundering-related charges, up to 10 years in federal prison on each of the organized crime-related charges, and up to five years in federal prison on the conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property charge.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California for comment.
