For years, a sophisticated retail crime ring wreaked havoc on Home Depots across Southern California, committing over 600 thefts and amassing an estimated $10 million worth of stolen merchandise. However, the tide has finally turned for these criminals as authorities have taken decisive action. On Tuesday, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced the filing of a comprehensive 48-count criminal complaint against nine key players involved in what Home Depot describes as the largest targeted theft ring in its history.
The alleged crime ring systematically targeted 71 Home Depot locations across Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. Prosecutors assert that the group often struck the same stores multiple times within a single day, showcasing their brazen tactics. This extensive operation was dismantled through a coordinated effort dubbed "Operation Kill Switch," which led to the arrest of 14 individuals on August 14, with nine subsequently charged.
At the helm of this criminal enterprise was David Ahl of Woodland Hills, who faces an alarming 45 felony counts, including conspiracy, organized retail theft, grand theft, receiving stolen property, and money laundering. If convicted, Ahl could face a maximum sentence of 32 years in prison. Prosecutors allege that Ahl directed theft crews to steal high-value items such as breakers, dimmers, switches, and outlets from Home Depot stores, which he later resold through his electronics storefront in Tarzana, a method known as fencing.
“His crews of thieves, known as boosters, stole merchandise from Home Depot’s stores, sometimes targeting every Home Depot in Ventura County in a single day,” stated Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff during a recent news conference. “The boosters would deliver the stolen items in trash bags or Home Depot boxes to his business or home, where he paid them in cash.”
The crime ring was not only a professional operation but also a family affair. Ahl’s brother-in-law, Omid Abrishamkar of Calabasas, is accused of aiding in the sale of stolen merchandise through eBay and faces 11 felony counts related to money laundering and reselling stolen property. Additionally, Ahl’s ex-wife, Lorena Solis of Downey, is implicated in running a similar fencing business in the Los Angeles area alongside her partner, Enrique Neira Moreno of Downey. Both face eight felony counts.
Law enforcement has also arrested five prolific boosters who face felony charges. Notable among them are Jose Banuelos Guerrero of South Gate, Edwin Rivera of Los Angeles, and Eber Bonilla Lopez of Pomona, who are accused of collaborating to commit daily thefts, often stealing between $6,000 and $10,000 in merchandise at a time. Surveillance footage released by the District Attorney’s Office captured Bonilla-Lopez filling his jacket pockets with electric breakers and using a pole to swipe boxes full of electrical components from the top shelves.
Another alleged boosting crew, consisting of Erlin Hernandez Lopez and Denny Gomez from Pomona, has been charged with three felony counts of conspiracy to commit retail theft. The collective impact of this crime ring has resulted in Home Depot estimating that they are responsible for more than $10 million in stolen merchandise.
Following the arrests on August 14, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office seized at least $3.7 million in stolen Home Depot property and more than $800,000 in suspected illicit funds from accounts belonging to Ahl and Abrishamkar. During the recent news conference, Sheriff Fryhoff expressed gratitude towards Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) for authoring Assembly Bill 1779. This legislation, signed into law last year, enables retail crimes occurring across multiple counties to be consolidated into a single criminal filing.
“Without this law, we would be prosecuting common crimes by the same defendants in multiple jurisdictions, a costly and time-consuming undertaking,” Fryhoff explained. “However, thanks to this legislation, Ventura County has consolidated the Los Angeles Home Depot theft charges into the 48-count criminal complaint.” L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman also commended the bill, emphasizing that combating retail crime remains a top priority for his office. “This is just the beginning of efforts to target these large crime crews,” he stated. “They believed they were sophisticated and could evade capture, but today’s announcement of these charges proves otherwise.”
