California officials filed felony charges against three men Friday for their involvement in a 2023 ID theft scheme that took place across several Bay Area counties.

The scheme involved suspects applying for store credit cards using stolen identities, then using those credit lines to purchase merchandise with no intention of paying them off, according to a press release from Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office.

A 34-count felony complaint was filed against the trio on charges including organized retail theft, grand theft and identity theft of 13 victims.

The theft was carried out in Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, and also in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

Related Articles

“I am committed to using the full force of the California Department of Justice to fight organized retail crime both in the field and in the courtroom,” Bonta said in the release. “This was not a one-off shoplifting offense, it was a malicious, coordinated scheme. These crimes hurt our businesses and pose a serious threat to our communities. I am thankful to Signet Jewelers as well as our local and state law enforcement partners for their collaboration in the battle against organized retail crime. We will not give up until we put a stop to this criminal activity all together.”

Between March and July 2023, the men fraudulently obtained more than $100,000 worth of merchandise from high-end retail stores and Harbor Freight retailers.

The investigation stemmed from a referral from a Signet Jeweler’s corporate fraud investigator, and was led by the California Department of Justice with collaboration form Homeland Security Investigations, the Santa Maria Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol and the Westminster Police Department.