A 33-year-old man accused of participating in the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of electronics, appliances, perishables and other products stored at a Jurupa Valley warehouse was charged Wednesday with receiving stolen goods and other offenses.
Yong Li was arrested Friday following an investigation by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department that began earlier this year.
In addition to the serious felony charges, Li also faces aggravated charges of committing an economic crime and stealing large quantities of contraband.
The defendant, who is being held on $1.1 million bail at Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, was scheduled to make his initial court appearance at the Riverside Hall of Justice on Wednesday afternoon.
According to Sheriff’s Sergeant Miguel Ramos, investigators from the Moreno Valley station became aware of an organized shoplifting ring operating in the area in February, which eventually led them to a warehouse in the 3400 block of De Forest Circle, just east of Etiwanda Avenue in Jurupa Valley.
After sufficient evidence was collected, a search warrant was issued for the property on Friday evening, Ramos said.
“Over 300 pallets of stolen goods, ranging from small appliances to high-end gaming computers, were seized,” he said.
The operation resulted in the seizure of pallets filled with boxes of water bottles, electronics and a variety of other well-known branded goods.
Li was taken into custody at the scene without incident.
It remained unclear whether the accused planned and carried out the alleged thefts by selling the goods or was only entrusted with monitoring the warehouse.
He has not been convicted of a crime in Riverside County, but court records show he has a fraud case pending against him.
