Multiple suspects linked to a retail theft operation that involved returning altered merchandise to a home improvement chain have been arrested after search warrants were served in Baldwin Park and various other locations in the state, the California Highway Patrol announced Thursday.
An investigation was launched in September by the CHP Valley Division's Organized Retail Crime Task Force in Sacramento after getting a referral from The Home Depot "regarding a subject involved in a sophisticated fraud and theft scheme," according to the CHP.
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"The suspect allegedly damaged merchandise, removed internal components and returned the altered products in exchange for new items," according to a CHP statement.
The unnamed individual has been linked to "hundreds of incidents at retail locations across California, resulting in losses exceeding $900,000," CHP officials said.
Working with the Sacramento Police Department and Placer County District Attorney's Office, the task force investigation identified several suspects. Warrants were served at homes "from Baldwin Park to Hayward," leading to the recovery of more than $300,000 in suspected stolen merchandise, according to the CHP.
Also seized was $59,000 and a dozen firearms.
The Organized Retail Crime Task Forces at the CHP's Southern and Border divisions also participated in the investigation.
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