In downtown Los Angeles, undercover detectives monitored two convenience stores, Quickmart and Big Apple, suspected of engaging in the illegal buying and reselling of stolen merchandise. The investigation led by Det. Yesenia Olvera, revealed disturbing patterns as thieves entered these stores with shopping bags already full and left empty-handed, at times counting cash.
When deputies raided the establishments in February, they discovered a cache of allegedly stolen items including shaving cream, sunscreen, and mouthwash, along with a staggering $1 million in cash found in a safe.
Representatives for the store owners, a married couple, have denied any wrongdoing, contending that the cash was acquired through legitimate business transactions. Their attorneys characterized the couple as the “embodiment of the American Dream,” arguing that the seizure poses a significant threat to their financial stability, as they own a total of nine convenience stores and gas stations across Los Angeles.
However, law enforcement officials claim the couple’s stores are part of an expansive network where shoplifters, referred to as “boosters,” target various retailers to steal high-demand items. These thieves often hit multiple stores in a single day, stealing products such as makeup, clothing, tools, and household items.
Once the items are stolen, they are sold to “fences,” who then resell these products out of physical storefronts, on the streets, or through online platforms, often at prices significantly lower than suggested retail values, according to Lt. Derek White, who oversees the sheriff’s task force focused on organized retail theft.
In Los Angeles County, there exists a thriving black market for an extensive array of goods. Capt. Calvin Mah, leading the Sheriff’s Department’s Major Crimes Bureau, noted that investigations have revealed the resale of items ranging from Lego sets to riding lawn mowers and even hair gel. Lt. White pointed out that fences typically purchase stolen goods for mere cents on the dollar and then sell them, pocketing nearly the entire amount as profit.
Despite rampant awareness of “smash and grab” thefts in California, fostered by media coverage, the situation has escalated. In 2023, the state initiated grants aimed at combating various forms of retail theft, with the Sheriff’s Department receiving $15.6 million to enhance a task force composed of 40 deputies and civilian analysts.
The task force, which currently has about 30 deputies working both in plainclothes and uniformed capacity, covers a massive 4,000-square mile jurisdiction. Since its inception, the deputies within this unit have opened nearly 2,500 investigations and made over 1,000 arrests, marking their commitment to tackling both the shoplifters and the fences sustaining the illegal trade.
The methods used by thieves to obtain stolen goods vary significantly. Some are notorious for breaking into stores at night, while others utilize forged documents to divert entire truckloads of merchandise destined for retail. A recent burglary case involved a crew that made off with 100 chain saws from a construction site in Shasta County, with police confiscating approximately 40 of those in a residential backyard in Downey after spotting them listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
Shoplifting remains the most prevalent method, ranging from discreet maneuvers where items are concealed in bags or clothing to outright brazen thefts where individuals fill bags in plain sight before exiting the store without paying. In industry jargon, this is dubbed a “walkout.”
To address the increasing frequency of retail thefts, the task force launched “blitz” operations targeting local retailers that have experienced significant losses. On a recent afternoon, plainclothes detectives monitored the Plaza La Alameda shopping center in South Los Angeles, which had reported a theft from a Bath & Body Works store just the day before.
Wong, following real-time updates over the radio from store employees at Bath & Body Works and a nearby Marshalls, was on alert as potential shoplifters entered the stores carrying empty bags, an indication of possible theft. However, an earlier report turned out to be false as the couple exited without incident.
Shortly after, an urgent alert came through the radio regarding a man in Marshalls using pliers to remove security sensors from clothing items and stuffing them into his waistband. The detectives swiftly moved to block the man’s vehicle, a red Nissan Versa devoid of license plates, apprehending him on the spot with stolen clothing in plain view inside the car.
Following shoplifters often leads detectives to the fences willing to exploit their stolen goods. In the summer of 2024, detectives followed two known boosters suspected of stealing approximately $47,000 worth of products from Ulta Beauty stores across California and Nevada.
On August 1, 2024, one of the suspects was observed filling a tote bag with cosmetics at an Ulta Beauty location in West Covina before proceeding to the apartment of a suspected fence named Norma Rodas. As detectives kept close watch, they noted Rodas, a 60-year-old woman, entering her apartment with several bulging bags without knocking.
Detectives later discovered that Rodas operated a small storefront in a downtown L.A. indoor swap meet, where her shelves were stocked with merchandise still bearing price tags from retailers such as Target and CVS. Investigators noted that items were often priced greatly below retail prices, with one instance where a bottle of hair product was purchased for $7 despite having a retail tag of $18.
During a raid of Rodas’ establishment in February, investigators from CVS and Target estimated the store had around $1 million worth of stolen goods. Alongside the store raid, authorities also searched her apartment, leading to the confiscation of $8,000 and an unspecified amount of foreign currency. Rodas has pleaded not guilty to charges of receiving stolen property and remains out on bail.
In another significant case, authorities focused on Big Apple, a bodega-style shop located near Skid Row, where detectives seized $1 million. Positioned at the intersection of Sixth and Los Angeles Streets, Big Apple has been implicated in facilitating the sale of stolen goods by seemingly purchasing items from criminals.
In conjunction with the suspicions surrounding Big Apple, the couple behind the establishment, Khaled Ahmed and Sandra Cervantes, also owns Quickmart nearby, which detectives believe serves a similar function. A breadth of evidence collected from the couple’s condo in Marina del Rey revealed storage bins, suitcases, and even a laundry basket filled with stolen clothing, all bearing their original tags.
Following the simultaneous raids on both stores, deputies cataloged items taken from Quickmart and noted they had allegedly stolen goods from CVS, Macy’s, Ralphs, Target, and Bath & Body Works. Big Apple’s inventory reportedly included personal care items like shaving cream, hair gel, medications, mouthwash, and Clorox bleach, indicating a wide and bizarre array of stolen goods.
Furthermore, detectives found two safes within Big Apple, which were overflowing with cash upon being opened. As the couple approached their preliminary hearing, set for July 17, their attorneys fought to retrieve the seized $1 million, maintaining that the funds were derived from legitimate business activities.
Ismael, the couple’s son, defended their practices in a court declaration, claiming the family sourced inventory from pallet liquidators, thus ensuring they did not knowingly purchase stolen merchandise. According to him, the money kept in Big Apple was merely for safekeeping before bank deposit.
Aside from their denial of wrongdoing, both Khaled Ahmed and Sandra Cervantes are currently out on bail after pleading not guilty to charges that include receiving stolen property and possessing pain medications and sedatives for sale.
As the investigations and legal proceedings evolve, the focus on dismantling such elaborate networks of retail theft continues, highlighting the challenges faced by law enforcement and businesses alike in tackling an epidemic of organized retail crime.
The continuous battle against retail theft reveals not only the complexities of theft dynamics but also the broader implications for communities affected by these illicit activities. With task forces actively pursuing and targeting both thieves and their fences, the landscape of retail crime in Los Angeles is being scrutinized more than ever.
image source from：latimes
