Attorney General Bonta Holds Organized Retail Theft Suspects Accountable for Violent Robberies Throughout Southern California

Suspects stole video game consoles from Target and Walmart stores, threatening employees with physical violence 

LOS ANGELES— California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, along with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and other partnering agencies, announced sentencing against three individuals involved in a multijurisdictional organized retail theft operation targeting Walmart and Target locations and resulting in a total loss of over $130,000. Lawrence Fountain, Kevin Hawkins, and Zaniyah Hoilfield pled guilty to felony charges of organized retail theft, robbery, and attempted robbery. The lead defendant, Lawrence Fountain, agreed to a six-year state prison sentence. The robberies began in February 2022 and involved a total of at least five suspects. The suspects would enter stores and steal video game consoles while threatening the employees with physical violence. 

“Violent organized retail theft erodes the feeling of security in our state, and has negative consequences for businesses, retailers, and consumers alike,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “I express my gratitude to our law enforcement allies for their diligent efforts in apprehending these individuals, as well as for our ongoing collaboration to combat organized retail theft. Through this sentancing and these charges, we are taking proactive steps towards ensuring that these bad actors are held responsible for their actions.”

California Department of Justice’s Organized Retail Criminal Enterprises (ORCE) investigators, with the assistance of investigators from Los Angeles County Sheriff Department and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) served search and arrest warrants at multiple locations throughout Southern California during the investigation and arrested three of the five suspects. The alleged crimes occurred in the of counties of  Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura. Two of the five suspects remain at large and are facing multiple felony charges brought by the California Department of Justice including organized retail theft, robbery, and attempted robbery. 

Attorney General Bonta and law enforcement partners throughout the state proactively collaborate to end organized retail crime:

• In February 2023, Attorney General Bonta announced charges against organized retail theft suspects with theft of approximately $1 million in goods from Apple stores.

• In March 2023, Attorney General Bonta announced charges against four individuals who stole more than $1 million worth of goods, including Xbox and Acer products, from cargo trucks that had departed from Microsoft shipping facilities.
• In April 2023, Attorney General Bonta announced arrests and charges against three individuals involved in a statewide organized retail theft operation targeting Home Depot locations and resulting in a total loss of over $75,000.
• In June 2023, Attorney General Bonta signed a first-of-its-kind agreement with retailers and online marketplaces aimed at helping address the growing issue of organized retail crime. 
• In August 2023, Attorney General Bonta announced arrests and charges against four people involved in “smash-and-grab” robberies carried out at high-end retail stores in Los Angeles and Riverside counties.
• In January 2024, California Attorney General Bonta announced charges against three people allegedly involved in burglaries and attempted burglaries carried out at smoke shops and liquor stores and high-end retail stores in the greater Bay Area.

The complaint can be found here.