Fullerton : 90 Face Charges in Wake of Police Sting

In the largest operation of its kind in this city’s history, 90 people face charges stemming from a seven-month police sting operation that netted more than $1.2 million worth of stolen property, authorities announced Thursday.

Police successfully served 44 arrest warrants this week on people suspected of selling stolen property to undercover police officers, including a $28,000 Cadillac that fetched $760. Another 46 suspects were still at large.

The sting operation was launched after the department noticed an increase in residential burglaries and auto thefts, particularly on the east side of the city, Fullerton Police Capt. Lee DeVore said. In auto thefts alone, there was a 22% increase from 1989 to 1990, authorities said.

“We expect that the number of incidents will decrease after this,” DeVore said, adding that the sting was the “largest operation of its kind” ever pulled off in Fullerton.

Undercover officers used two donated Fullerton apartments as the headquarters for their operation.

The officers then “fanned out around the city, especially to areas where drug users were known to congregate, and spread the word about a new place to fence stolen property,” Fullerton spokeswoman Sylvia Palmer Mudrick said in a prepared statement. Within a short time, she said, the officers “found themselves busier than they had expected.”

Throughout the operation, officers purchased 69 vehicles, as well as camera equipment, auto stereos, color copiers, fax machines, tools and credit cards, police said.

“In the seven months, we made a total of 201 transactions for stolen property and dealt with 159 individual suspects,” said Detective Fred Bybee, who acted as one of the department’s “fences,” who purchased the purloined property.

“Of those suspects, 85% were either on parole or probation at the time of the transaction,” he said.

Among the vehicles obtained were new and used Toyotas, Hondas, Nissans, Ford Mustangs and motorcycles. Detectives also purchased a $19,200 motor home for $360 and the 1990 Cadillac Seville worth $28,747 for $760, she said.

All of the vehicles and most of the other property has been returned to their owners, police said.

To buy the stolen property, the officers used $21,963 in city funds from the asset seizure program.

“That’s about 1.8 cents of city money for every dollar of stolen property,” said Sgt. Dave Stanko of the Vice/Special Investigations Unit.

On Wednesday, police started making arrests on charges including burglary, possession of stolen property, auto theft, strong-arm robbery and credit card theft.