A 33-year-old man accused of conspiring in the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars in electronics, appliances, perishable goods and other products that were stored in a Jurupa Valley warehouse was charged Wednesday with receiving stolen property and other offenses.
Yong Li was arrested Friday following a Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigation that began earlier this year.
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Along with the felony count, Li is charged with sentence-enhancing allegations of perpetrating a white collar crime and engaging in theft that involved large quantities of contraband.
The defendant, who is being held in lieu of $1.1 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, was slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
According to sheriff's Sgt. Miguel Ramos, in February, investigators from the Moreno Valley station became aware of an organized retail theft ring operating in the area, ultimately leading them to a warehouse in the 3400 block of De Forest Circle, just east of Etiwanda Avenue, in Jurupa Valley.
After gathering sufficient evidence, a search warrant was served at the property Friday night, Ramos said.
"Over 300 pallets of stolen merchandise, ranging from small appliances to high-end gaming computers were seized," he said.
The operation resulted in the confiscation of pallets stacked with cases of bottled water, electronics gear and a variety of other goods bearing recognizable brands.
Li was taken into custody without incident at the location.
It was unclear whether the defendant was an orchestrator of the alleged thefts, fencing the goods or only tasked with monitoring the warehouse.
He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County. However, court records show an unresolved misdemeanor case pending for fraud.
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