By El Latino Newsroom
A Pomona man was convicted by a jury of all 27 felony charges against him for his role in a multimillion-dollar organized retail theft conspiracy targeting Home Depot stores across Southern California, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced.
Eber Bonilla Lopez, 40, was found guilty on Nov. 6, 2026, of 13 counts of organized retail theft, three counts of grand theft, three counts of receiving stolen property valued at more than $950, and eight counts of conspiracy to commit a crime.
Jurors also found true special allegations that the thefts were committed in concert with others and that Ventura County had jurisdiction to prosecute the offenses.
“This conviction is a significant step toward holding accountable those responsible for a sophisticated criminal enterprise that caused millions of dollars in losses to businesses across Southern California,” District Attorney Nasarenko said.
He emphasized that organized retail theft affects more than the businesses directly targeted, noting that such operations also harm employees and can increase costs for consumers.
“We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to dismantle these criminal networks and ensure those responsible face consequences,” Nasarenko added.
Investigation Uncovered More Than 600 Thefts
Bonilla Lopez was one of nine defendants charged in August 2025 following an extensive investigation into an organized retail theft operation targeting Home Depot locations throughout Southern California.
Investigators identified two coordinated theft crews that repeatedly stole high-value electrical products, including dimmer switches, circuit breakers and electrical outlets.
According to the investigation, the stolen merchandise was then supplied to a network of individuals who resold the products through wholesale businesses and online marketplaces.
The Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force tracked the crews’ activities and linked them to more than 600 thefts across Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Home Depot estimated that the criminal operation had stolen at least $10 million worth of merchandise over several years.
Following the arrests, investigators recovered and seized at least $3.7 million in stolen Home Depot property.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Brandon Ross, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Organized Retail Theft Unit.
“This verdict sends a clear message that organized retail theft crews will be held accountable for the damage they cause,” Ross said.
He described the case as evidence-intensive and thanked the jurors for their careful consideration of the evidence and their unanimous verdict on all 27 counts and the special allegations.
Multiagency Task Force Helped Build the Case
The investigation was conducted by the Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force, with assistance from participating law enforcement agencies and Home Depot’s Loss Prevention team.
The prosecution also received support through state-funded Organized Retail Theft grants.
The case was filed in Ventura County under the authority of Assembly Bill 1779, which became law in 2024. The legislation allows prosecutors to consolidate cases involving the same defendants across multiple counties, providing a legal mechanism to pursue offenses connected to organized theft operations that cross jurisdictional boundaries.
Bonilla Lopez is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 7, 2026, at 9 a.m. in courtroom 46 of the Ventura County Superior Court.
He remains in custody without bail and faces the possibility of decades in state prison.
