Police in Los Angeles have arrested a man in connection with what they are calling a “significant” fencing operation that was trafficking stolen cargo worth millions of dollars.
On Wednesday, Aug. 20, the Los Angeles Police Department’s Commercial Crimes Division announced the arrest of Dojoon Park. The 41-year-old Park was arrested the week prior and booked on suspicion of receiving stolen property. Jail records show Park was booked and released the same day.
The arrest came after officers executed search warrants at two DJ General Tool and Wire locations. During the investigation and subsequent search, detectives recovered roughly $4.5 million worth of stolen property.
“Cargo theft is not a victimless crime. It affects retailers, distributors and ultimately all of us consumers,” Jim McDonnell, chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, told reporters. “Protecting the integrity of our supply chain is vital to public safety, as well as the economic stability of Los Angeles.”
Among the items recovered were power tools, appliances, e-bikes and other miscellaneous goods, such as products from Dyson, Milwaukee, DeWalt and Makita. Investigators said Park was selling the stolen cargo through both the storefront and online platforms.
LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said he anticipated charges being brought against Park “in the not so distant future” and that those charges would carry “maximum sentences of years of state prison time.”
“Please know that when organized crime rings exploit our transportation system, we will identify them, dismantle the operations and hold individuals fully accountable for their actions,” Hochman said.
McDonnell said the investigation was ongoing and that he anticipated additional arrests being made. LL
