Store Owner Denies Connection To Cargo Theft Ring That Sold Millions In Stolen Tools, Appliances

LOS ANGELES, CA — A business owner has been charged with selling millions of dollars worth of merchandise that authorities say was stolen from a train this summer.

Dojoon Park, 41, of Montebello, pleaded not guilty to with six felony counts of receipt of stolen property worth over $950, along with allegations of losses of more than $500,000, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Park's arrest was announced by the Los Angeles Police Department last month as part of an operation that authorities said represented the dismantling of a "significant" storefront operation that trafficked millions of dollars worth of stolen cargo and retail goods.

Special agents from the Union Pacific railroad discovered that a train car full of consumer goods had been burglarized in Long Beach in July. The investigation led authorities to more than $5 million in stolen items, according to prosecutors.

The items included power tools, appliances, e-bikes, and other miscellaneous goods from brands including Dyson, Milwaukee, DeWalt, and Makita, police said. Prosecutors claim the items were being sold online and at Park's DJ General Tool and Wire stores in Montebello and Huntington Park.

Park was initially arrested on Aug. 14 and released the same day.

He was taken into custody again on Monday at court. His bail was set at $225,000 with a hold in place to ensure that the source of any bail money is not tied to any criminal operation, prosecutors said.

Park could face up to 11 years in state prison if convicted as charged.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said organized cargo theft "strikes at the heart of our economy, impacting local businesses, workers, and everyday families" and asserted that the operation underscores the department's commitment to dismantling criminal networks that profit from stolen goods.