What you need to know: The state’s organized retail crime task force announced the results of two operations taking down organized retail crime rings, resulting in numerous felony arrests and the recovery of more than $850,000 in stolen retail items. 

SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom lauded the work of the California Highway Patrol’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force, which shut down organized retail theft rings in Orange and Alameda counties in recent weeks. Officers seized nearly $850,000 in stolen merchandise and made multiple felony arrests.

“Our organized retail crime task force throughout the state is cracking down on criminal organizations and holding thieves and resellers accountable. I thank our CHP officers and law enforcement partners for their work to ensure communities are safe and our businesses are protected. These arrests and operations should put criminals on notice - we won’t tolerate retail theft and will take you down.” - Governor Gavin Newsom

The California Highway Patrol has dedicated organized retail theft teams in Orange County, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area, which work with retailers to combat retail crime throughout the state. This month, Governor Newsom signed landmark legislation to strengthen California’s retail theft and property crime laws, including bills to maintain important organized retail crime statutes and the task force, authorization for which would have expired in 2026. Since January, the task force has made 884 arrests and seized nearly a quarter of a million stolen goods valued at more than $7.2 million. 

Last week, the task force announced the results of the following operations: 

Bay Area operation 

Following a month-long investigation of a criminal network in the Bay Area, the task force recovered over $450,000 in stolen merchandise found at an Oakland residence and an Oakland storage facility. The operation uncovered suspects involved in an illegal fencing scheme targeting drug stores. The team announced the arrest of the leader of the operation, who was charged with multiple felonies, including organized retail crime, possession of stolen property, and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Orange County operation

The task force uncovered an organized retail theft ring as part of an ongoing operation in southern California. An Inglewood man and father-daughter duo were charged with multiple felony counts after the task force found nearly $400,000 in stolen merchandise, as well as counterfeit items, which the suspects were selling at an open-air market in Torrence. Officers arrested the leader of the operation in his home in Los Angeles and the father-daughter duo, who carried out the thefts, in Anaheim. The suspects were charged with multiple felony counts, including receiving stolen property, organized retail theft, sale of counterfeit items, grand theft, and conspiracy.

Today’s announcement builds on Governor Newsom’s efforts to improve public safety throughout California, including in Oakland, Bakersfield, and San Francisco. California has invested $1.1 billion since 2019 to fight crime, help local governments hire more police, and improve public safety. In 2023, as part of California’s Real Public Safety Plan, the Governor announced the largest-ever investment to combat organized retail crime in state history, an annual 310% increase in proactive operations targeting organized retail crime, and special operations across the state to fight crime and improve public safety.