LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – The leader of an organized retail theft ring that targeted high-end jewelry stores in smash-and-grab robberies across Southern California has been sentenced to over 16 years behind bars and ordered to pay restitution of $1.2 million, officials announced today.
Rodney Allen Flynt Jr. and his outfit hit 14 jewelry stores from April 2023 to May 2024 both during the day and after hours, often in shopping malls in San Diego, Orange, Riverside and Kern counties, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said.
Flynt pleaded guilty in March 2026 in San Diego after a preliminary hearing, and was sentenced to 16 years and four months in state prison. As part of the sentencing, he was ordered to pay restitution of $1.2 million, equivalent to the amount of verified losses in merchandise from retailers…