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A real estate agent and a man from Beverly Hills have been charged with a massive money-laundering and robbery program that included open houses in wealthy enclaves, some of the celebrity houses, officials said.
Benjamin Eitan Ackerman, 32, was arrested a year ago for a series of intrusions into Hollywood Hills, Encino, Tarzana and Sherman Oaks. Although the police announced their investigation in January, no charges were laid against Ackerman at the time.
Thursday, the Los Angeles County Attorney's Office announced that Akerman and his real estate agent
Jason Emil Yaselli, 32, from Beverly Hills, was charged with theft. According to the police, expensive art, jewelery and alcoholic beverages were stolen from high-end residences and may have been resold.
The two men were charged with 32 counts of money laundering, 12 counts of first-degree residential burglary, two counts of first-degree residential burglary in the presence of one person, of two heads of identity theft, a chief conspiracy to burglar and a charge leader. conspiracy to launder money, said the prosecutor's office in a statement.
Some of the targeted homes belonged to celebrities such as Adam Lambert, Usher and former football player Shaun Phillips.
Prosecutors say that between December 2016 and August 2018, Yaselli encouraged Ackerman to steal items from 14 homes, sell them and use the proceeds to pay Yaselli's credit card. Every month, Ackerman deposited between $ 5,500 and $ 20,000 on Yaselli's account, according to the criminal complaint.
Men are accused of stealing more than $ 500,000.
Ackerman pleaded not guilty and was released Tuesday after posting a bond. He was arrested for the first time in connection with the robberies in September 2018, but the Attorney General's office refused to lodge a complaint against Ackerman and asked the LAPD to continue his investigation, according to Paul Eakins, spokesman for the office of the prosecutor. DA.
The police department recently took over the case and charges were filed on August 15th.
Benjamin Ackerman, 32, was arrested in September and soon released. He was arrested again after Los Angeles police conducted a more in-depth investigation.
(Los Angeles Police Department)
In a statement sent by email, Ackerman's attorney, Gary Kaufman, pointed out that no charges had been laid in January and had asserted that his client was innocent.
"The prosecutor's press release, specifically naming Usher Raymond and Adam Lambert as alleged victims, only underscores what we believed from the first day, that it was an advertising-based lawsuit." , did he declare. "The people's business is no better today than it was a year ago. Unlike a good wine, this case does not improve with age. "
At a news conference on Ackerman's arrest on January 2, police said he had found 2,000 high-end items worth millions of dollars at home and in a storage unit. LAPD Det. Jared Timmons said at the time that Ackerman had introduced himself as an interested buyer or real estate agent in the project.
"When he arrived, he was dressed to nine," Timmons said. "He played the role. He was very slippery.
At the time, investigators suspected Ackerman of not working alone. During their investigation, they discovered tampered surveillance videos and cameras torn from their parameters.
"The cameras would stay dark until several hours after the burglary," Timmons said.
The stolen items included Chanel and Louis Vuitton clothing and handbags, luxury jewelery, and rare works of art.
Yaselli is scheduled to appear in court Friday and remains in custody instead of a $ 1.73 million bail.
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