3 arrested for organized retail thefts in Placer County

Three individuals were arrested this week as a result of an investigation of organized thefts across and surrounding Placer County. The Placer County Sheriff's Office reported the suspects were targeting customers at Safeway in North Auburn as they distracted victims while shopping to steal wallets and phones from carts. The stolen debit and credit cards were then immediately used for fraudulent purchases. Property Crimes Unit detectives identified getaway vehicles used in the crimes, which led to the arrests, the Sheriff's Office confirmed. Further investigation revealed the suspects selected and mapped a high-end residence in South Placer for a planned burglary. According to the Sheriff's Office, Carlos Mario Corredor-Lamprea, 37, Jose Boade-Payares, 29, and Ivon Gineth Vergararincon, 29, are believed to be connected to similar thefts in multiple states. The Sheriff's Office also confirmed the trio are in the country illegally from South America and have been arrested multiple times in California. The criminal network the trio are linked to is often referred to as Transnational Theft Groups or South American Theft Groups, which travel throughout the country targeting affluent homes and retail businesses. The Sheriff's Office shared the groups are sophisticated, coordinated and known to move quickly between jurisdictions to avoid detection. "These groups are responsible for significant financial losses among residents and business owners," Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said. "Our detectives and deputies worked diligently to identify, track and safely apprehend these suspects, preventing additional burglaries in our community." Additionally, the Sheriff's Office reported Senate Bill 54 (SB 54) is a key factor contributing to many organized theft ring offenders being repeatedly released back into the community, as it restricts local agencies from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. The Sheriff's Office shared even though many suspects in organized retail theft and burglary crews are foreign nationals operating illegally in the country, deputies cannot notify or transfer custody to federal partners unless they meet narrow criteria. "SB 54 has made it easier for organized crime groups to keep operating and harder for law enforcement to stop them," Woo said. "These organized crime groups exploit the gaps it created, and our community pays the price. That's unacceptable for the people we're sworn to protect." Blade-Payares and Vergararincon remain in custody and are ineligible for bail with court dates scheduled for Nov. 13. No in-custody information was located for Corredor-Lamprea. The Sheriff's Office is asking anyone who believes they were targeted by the trio or has information about related thefts to contact its office at 530-886-5375.