Six people have been charged as a result of “Operation Wrecking Ball”, an investigation by Los Angeles’ Lafayette Police Department, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the District Attorney’s Office.
Authorities allege that the six travelled from Los Angeles to Colorado, stole $1.1m of construction equipment and caused $27,000 of damage at building sites.
It is alleged that the six operated across 39 sites in the Denver Metro area. The Lafayette Police Department used location data, social media information, and hotel and phone records to determine where the alleged members of the enterprise were during the times that burglaries were carried out.
The case will be prosecuted in Boulder County.
District attorney Michael Dougherty said: “This crime ring travelled to Colorado for the purpose of breaking into construction sites and stealing equipment.
“Their actions had an incredibly disruptive impact on the construction companies as well as the owners of the sites. For their conduct, these defendants will face serious consequences.”
