Felony charges are expected to be filed Wednesday against a 33-year-old man suspected of conspiring in the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars in electronics, appliances, perishable goods and other products and storing them in a Jurupa Valley warehouse.
Yong Li was arrested and booked into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on Friday on suspicion of theft, receiving known stolen property, forgery and engaging in white collar crime.
Li is being held in lieu of $1.1 million bail.
His case was under review Tuesday by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Miguel Ramos said that, in February, investigators from the sheriff’s Moreno Valley station became aware of an organized retail theft ring operating in the area, ultimately leading them to a warehouse in the 3400 block of De Forest Circle, just east of Etiwanda Avenue, in Jurupa Valley.
After gathering sufficient evidence, a search warrant was served at the property Friday night, Ramos said.
“Over 300 pallets of stolen merchandise, ranging from small appliances to high-end gaming computers were seized,” he said.
Photographs from the operation showed pallets stacked with cases of bottled water, electronics gear and a variety of other goods with recognizable brands.
Li was taken into custody without incident at the location.
It was unclear whether the suspect was an orchestrator of the alleged thefts, fencing the goods or only tasked with monitoring the warehouse.
Background information on him was unavailable.
Anyone with details relevant to the investigation was asked to contact the Moreno Valley station at 951-486-6700.