Thirteen suspects are now behind bars, with an array of stolen goods valued at more than $800,000 recovered, in what is being called a major blow to organized retail crime in Northern California. The California Highway Patrol’s Valley Division Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF), along with support from the Sacramento Police Department and the Placer County District Attorney’s Office, spearheaded the cross-agency efforts to bring down the theft network, as reported by CHP News.
The investigation, which began in September, started to quickly unravel after a traffic stop on October 1 by the Rocklin Police Department led to key information being shared by the arrested suspects. They disclosed the identities of the individuals who were purchasing the stolen merchandise from them to ultimately resell it at a profit. The ORCTF was able to confirm these details through surveillance operations, linking theft suspects, resellers, and the flea markets in Oakland, San Jose, Galt, Modesto, and Stockton where the goods were being sold.
With sufficient evidence in hand, the ORCTF acquired and executed multiple search warrants across six residences, three storage lockers, and one storage lot. The culmination of these efforts unfolded on December 11 in a synchronized effort titled Operation Silent Night. Arrests were made across Oakland, Richmond, San Leandro, and Galt. Alongside the apprehensions, law enforcement seized two firearms, seized over $10,000 in cash, five vans, two passenger vehicles, two trailers, and a staggering amount of stolen goods, including cosmetics, clothing, tools, toys, and more…