Santa Clarita man accused of being part of South American crime tourism group

Federal authorities announced that a Canyon Country man is the focus of a 46-count grand jury indictment unsealed Wednesday accusing him of aiding a “criminal tourism theft group” that came from South America, stole across the country and then laundered millions in illicit proceeds.

He and his partner are also accused of conspiring with others to obtain more than a quarter of a million dollars through fraudulent COVID-19-related business relief loans.

According to the indictment, Juan Carlos Thola-Duran, 57, aka “Parcero,” of Canyon Country, and his partner Ana Maria Arriagada, 41, aka “Parcera,” controlled and operated Driver Power Rentals (DPR), a Van Nuys-based car rental and sales company.

Arriagada was the registered owner of DPR.

On Wednesday morning, federal agents from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security could be seen entering and exiting a home in the 27300 block of Sand Canyon Road, which is listed in the federal complaint shared by Justice Department officials.

From at least January 2018 through July 2024, Thola-Duran directed accomplices – often members of thief tourism groups traveling from South America – to travel to various parts of the United States to commit thefts, including shoplifting, burglaries of homes and businesses, and the theft of victims' credit and debit cards, the Justice Department press release said.

Federal officials declined to comment on their presence at the rural property in the quiet equestrian community. On Wednesday, the home was surrounded by vehicles, including two pickup trucks near the entrances to two buildings on the property.

A federal agent referred questions to the Los Angeles field office's press office, which confirmed that agents were executing a search warrant related to the outstanding indictment.

A teenager and a woman who left the property Wednesday afternoon declined to comment.

Thola-Duran and Arriagada used DPR to provide their accomplices with vehicles to travel around the country and commit burglaries and thefts, the Justice Department press release said.

To make the car rentals appear legitimate and to maintain anonymity, law enforcement officials believe the couple required their co-conspirators to present false identification when renting a vehicle for DPR records.

The indictment, filed Aug. 1 and unsealed Wednesday, charges seven defendants with several serious crimes, including wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and structuring transactions to evade federal financial reporting requirements.

Thola-Duran and Arriagada instructed co-conspirators who stole credit or debit cards to immediately go to stores such as Target, Best Buy, The Home Depot and others and maximize the value of the stolen cards by purchasing electronics, gift cards, designer handbags and other high-end luxury items before the stolen cards could be frozen or blocked, the press release said.

Federal prosecutors believe Thola-Duran then arranged for the thieves to deliver stolen or fraudulently obtained goods to DPR employees or to mail them to other co-conspirators, including defendant Miguel Angel Barajas, 57, of Northridge, or to other co-conspirators at a FedEx store in Sherman Oaks.

The Justice Department statement said defendants Barajas, John Carlo Thola, 33, of Canoga Park, and others picked up the packages and then delivered them to Thola-Duran and other conspirators at Thola-Duran's direction.

Thola-Duran then acted as a “fence,” purchasing the goods – at a fraction of their retail value – and paying the thieves a percentage of the goods' value, the Justice Department press release said.

He then sold the stolen goods to other buyers for approximately $5.5 million over the course of the conspiracy. About $5.1 million of that was transferred to various bank accounts controlled by the co-conspirators, the Justice Department press release said.
“The defendants allegedly used their ill-gotten gains to acquire and maintain assets such as real estate and horses, and they structured cash withdrawals to evade banks' requirements to report transactions over $10,000 to the U.S. Treasury,” the press release said.

The indictment further alleges that from May 2020 to June 2021, Thola-Duran, Arriagada and others conspired to fraudulently obtain $274,998 in COVID-19 business relief loans.

The U.S. Department of Justice identified criminal tourism gangs as individuals who often originate from outside the United States, such as South America and other countries, and who commit burglaries, thefts, and other crimes throughout the United States.

“The modus operandi of crime tourism theft groups involves individuals entering the United States and committing robberies. The fruits of the thefts are often shared with accomplices and co-conspirators who help the crime tourists commit their crimes, as well as with others inside and outside the United States,” said the federal government's press release published on Wednesday.

Concerns surrounding the group are not unknown to local law enforcement. For example, Justin Diez, captain of the SCV Sheriff's Station, answered a question about such thefts during a recent Sheriff's Foundation fundraiser.

He said the gangs often target homes near golf courses because of their accessibility. He also said recent changes to the law regarding the prosecution of thefts have made it difficult to hold perpetrators accountable when they are caught, citing bail reforms and policy changes by District Attorney George Gascón.

“Crime tourism is a major problem that affects not only Southern California, but our entire country,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in the press release. “These defendants aided and abetted criminal tourists who committed hundreds of robberies across the country – essentially acting as quarterbacks for a team of thieves. We will continue to work with our local partners to hold accountable those who come to our country and exploit our freedoms to steal from the American people.”

“Today we have taken out a non-traditional facilitator of organized crime and now have a plan in place for future investigations,” Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said in the release. “We hope these arrests will deter future businesses from conducting similar operations, thereby reducing thefts and burglaries in our communities.”

Orange and Ventura County District Attorneys' Offices, in conjunction with the federal government, issued statements: “Driver Power Rentals provided cars that were allegedly used to steal high-value goods and jewelry from homeowners in Ventura County,” District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said in a press release. “The arrest of a major operator that fueled crime tourism is critical to neighborhood safety, and I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Estrada and his team for pursuing this network so vigorously.”

If convicted, the defendants face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in a federal prison for each count related to wire fraud and money laundering, up to 10 years in a federal prison for each count of structuring, and up to five years in a federal prison for the count of conspiracy to transport stolen goods interstate.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and District Attorney's Office were not among the organizations involved in the operation, according to the press release.