<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-0"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">An organized group pulled off more than 600 thefts at Home Depot stores across Southern California, stealing millions of dollars worth of electronics between January and August of this year, officials said.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Ventura County officials announced charges against nine key members of the group at a news conference on Tuesday, in what they described as the largest case of thefts at Home Depot nationwide.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Investigators arrested 14 people this month and have since seized more than $3.7 million in stolen goods and $800,000 of what they called “dirty money.”</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Since January this year, the group carried out thefts at 71 Home Depot stores across Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, officials said, then resold the goods at lower prices both online and through offline businesses.</p></div><aside aria-label="companion column" class="css-ew4tgv"></aside></div><div data-testid="Dropzone-1"></div><div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-1"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Home Depot estimated that the criminal group stole at least $10 million over several years, officials said.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">“This wasn’t shoplifting. It was a criminal enterprise that allegedly stole millions of dollars, and it was finally stopped here,” said Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko.</p><div class="css-kbghgg"><div class="css-121kum4"><div class="css-171d1bw"></div><div class="css-asuuk5"><noscript><div class="css-7axq9l" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="css-1b5b8u1" data-tpl="i" height="24" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="24"><path clip-rule="evenodd" d="M2.5 12a9.5 9.5 0 1 1 19 0 9.5 9.5 0 0 1-19 0Zm8.5 1.75v-7.5h2v7.5h-2Zm0 2v2h2v-2h-2Z" fill="currentColor" fill-rule="evenodd"></path></svg><div class="css-6yo1no" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript-message"><p class="css-3kpklk" data-tpl="t">We are having trouble retrieving the article content.</p><p class="css-3kpklk" data-tpl="t">Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.</p></div></div></noscript><div class="css-1dv1kvn" id="optimistic-truncator-a11y" tabindex="-1"><hr/><p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access. 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