Officials in California announced the arrests of 14 people on Tuesday, Aug. 26, in connection to what they called the largest organized retail theft operation in Home Depot’s history, with nine of the accused facing felony charges.

During an Aug. 26 news conference, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the 14 people are allegedly linked to 600 thefts at 71 different Home Depot locations in the region, leading to losses exceeding $10 million.

"They basically had been able to pull off over 600 different thefts from Home Depots in the surrounding counties," Hochman said. "They must have thought life was grand. They've been making millions of dollars, didn't look like anyone was going to stop them."

Officials identified David Ahl, who they said ran a storefront in Tarzana called ARIA Wholesale, as the center of the operation. Authorities said Ahl faces 48 felony counts, including conspiracy, organized retail theft, grand theft, receiving stolen property and money laundering.

According to online records, Ahl is currently in custody at the Ventura County jail with a $500,000 bail. His first court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 27.

Court records do not show a defense attorney for Ahl as of Tuesday, Aug. 26.

A sophisticated operation

Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said during the news conference that Ahl’s "boosters" would steal expensive electrical components, such as breakers, dimmers and switches at Home Depot locations in the area. These were then allegedly delivered to Ahl’s business or to his house, where they would then be resold.

Apart from Ahl’s arrest, police said they also apprehended his brother-in-law, his ex-wife and her boyfriend, who allegedly committed similar crimes. In total, authorities seized about $3.7 million in Home Depot property, as well as $800,000 in cash.

"This wasn't shoplifting. It was a criminal enterprise that allegedly stole millions of dollars, and it was finally stopped here in Ventura County," Erik Nasarenko, Ventura County District Attorney, said during the news conference.

Scott Glenn, Home Depot's vice president of asset protection, said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY, "Combating organized retail crime is about more than our bottom line. It’s about protecting the safety and well-being of our customers, associates, and communities."

"We’re thankful for Ventura County law enforcement's commitment to investigating these serious crimes and holding offenders accountable," the statement continued. "We are proud to be part of the solution to this growing challenge.”

This story was updated to add new information.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 14 arrested in connection to largest-ever Home Depot theft operation

Reporting by Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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