LOS ANGELES — Eight suspects have been arrested in connection with a residential burglary ring that targeted Los Angeles Times subscribers, and have since plead not guilty to more than three dozen charges laid out in a Grand Jury Indictment.
Prosecutors say the octet burgled an estimated $1 million throughout dozens of residential burglaries in both San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties.
Judge Charlaine Olmedo unsealed the 39-count indictment today, which named Joseph Whitmore (44), Duane Vantuinen (52), Joshua Ray Box (44), Cory Mulligan (22), Brian Thomas Duran (42), Margaret Mary Susan High (29), and Edwin Lynn Valentine (53), each charged with multiple counts of first degree residential burglary, conspiracy, and reception of stolen property.
According to Deputy District Attorney Mark Inaba, a thorough investigation led by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department included joint investigations by Glendora, Monrovia, Burbank, and Arcadia police departments as well as the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department — initially sparked by a Whitmore traffic stop on June 24, 2012. Police apparently discovered stolen property along with a list of Los Angeles Times subscribers who’d put vacation holds on their subscriptions.
It is believed that suspect Joseph Whitmore obtained the list from his cohort Duane Vantuinen, who’d allegedly worked as an office machine repairman for the L.A. Times. Authorities announced that they’d discovered much of the stolen property at a West Covina storage locker back in January.
The eight suspects are scheduled to return to the Pomona Branch of Los Angeles Superior Court for pretrial. In the mean time, they remain held in excess of $1.6 million bail each, and if convicted as charged could all face at least 20 years in state prison.
Read more:
NBC SoCal: Vacationing Times Subscribers Targeted in Burglaries
CBS Los Angeles: 8 Indicted For Home Burglary Ring Targeting Vacationing Los Angeles Times Subscribers
Los Angeles Weekly: Duane Van Tuinen: L.A. Times Subscriber List Used For $1 Mil Burglary Ring, Cops Say
L.A. County Sheriff’s Department press release (Nixle)
