MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Secures Felony Sentences for Four Defendants Involved in an Organized Retail Theft Scheme Across Four California Counties

LOS ANGELES – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the sentencing of four individuals who stole items from 60 different Home Depots and then resold them for profit. From October 2021 to February 2023, brothers Jose Delasancha and Luis Delasancha committed a series of grand thefts from Home Depots throughout Southern California, resulting in a total loss of over $82,000. The brothers then sold the stolen items to Everardo Carillo-Avilez and Agustin Garfiaz who re-sold them online. The thefts occurred in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, and Ventura.
 
“At the California Department of Justice, we are fighting organized crime in the field and in the courtroom,” said Attorney General Bonta. “If you steal from businesses to line your own pockets, we will hold you accountable. I am thankful for my team and all the tireless work that went into this case. We will not tolerate theft that puts our communities and businesses at risk.”
 
The brothers would drive together to a Home Depot, enter the hardware department and use theft tools to unlock security devices that were securing high-dollar power tools. They would then select the power tools, often clearing an entire shelf, and would fill a Home Depot shopping cart full of the power tools. The brothers would then exit the store without paying for any of the power tools.  
 
A sixty-count felony complaint was filed against the four defendants. Jose Delasancha recently pled guilty to four counts of grand theft and was sentenced to eight years in state prison. Luis Delasancha previously pled guilty to four counts of grand theft and was sentenced to four years in state prison that will be served locally. Carillo-Avilez pled guilty to organized retail theft and was sentenced to two years felony probation. Garfiaz pled guilty to organized retail theft and receiving stolen property and was sentenced to two years felony probation.
 
DOJ’s Special Prosecution Section investigates and prosecutes complex criminal cases occurring in California, primarily related to financial, securities, mortgage, and environmental fraud; public corruption, including violations of California’s Political Reform Act; “underground economy” offenses, including tax and revenue fraud and counterfeiting; and human trafficking. Vertical teams of prosecutors, investigators, auditors, and paralegals often work with federal and local authorities on cases involving multi-jurisdictional criminal activity.
 
A copy of the criminal complaint can be found here.