ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. – An Inglewood man and a father-daughter duo have been charged for stealing nearly $400,000 in goods and selling counterfeit items at a swap meet, following an investigation by the California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) Organized Retail Crime Taskforce (ORCTF).
On July 30, 2024, CHP investigators assigned to Border Division’s ORCTF served a search warrant in connection with an ongoing retail theft investigation. Investigators identified a residence where stolen merchandise was being stored and sold at an open-air market in Torrance, Calif. Jose Cuadra, 41, who was identified as the leader of the fence operation, was arrested at his Los Angeles residence.
During the service of search warrant, investigators recovered nearly $400,000 in stolen retail merchandise, designer shoes, purses, and perfume, which were being sold as legitimate brand name items.
Investigators identified Cuadra as a “fence” after following retail thieves, known as “boosters”, to his residence where they sold retail items, they had stolen earlier that day.
On August 14, CHP investigators obtained arrest warrants for two boosters involved in this theft ring. Johny Arciniegas-Cortes, 46, and his daughter, Paula Arciniegas, 28, were arrested on the warrants without incident in the city of Anaheim. The father and daughter team has been observed numerous times committing retail thefts throughout Southern California. It is believed Cortes and Arciniegas are responsible for stealing approximately $10,000 in merchandise from several retailers.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has filed four felony charges against Cuadra, which include the following:
Two felony counts of receiving stolen property.
- One felony count of organized retail theft in concert with two or more persons.
- One felony count of the manufacture and sale of counterfeit mark.
Cortes and Arciniegas have been charged with the following:
- Two felony counts of grand theft.
- One felony count of conspiring to commit a crime.
- Four misdemeanor counts of shoplifting with a value less than $950.
The CHP has dedicated Organized Retail Theft teams in Orange County, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area who work with retailers to combat sophisticated crews that continue to victimize merchants throughout the state.
The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.
