A criminal gang known by the names "Hollywood Hills Burglar Bunch" and "Bling Ring" is minus their leader as of October 25, reports CNN, as R.L., 21, has been sentenced to four years in prison.
The group, including four more young adults, only burglarized Los Angeles-based celebrity homes. The current sentence is for the burglary of the home of a young reality television show star, identified as Audrina Patridge of "The Hills" by Los Angles County Deputy District Attorney Chris Baker.
R.L. pleaded no contest in September to one count of first-degree residential burglary for the February 2009 theft of Patridge's jewelry, luggage, cloths, shoes, boots and watches – many with designer labels – that totaled over $25,000.
Per prosecutors, Judge Larry Paul Fidler dismissed one felony count of conspiracy to commit burglary and two counts of receiving stolen property against R.L.
Prosecutors also said that on November 18 the other four defendants are due in court for motions and pretrial hearings. He named them as N.P., 20, D.T., 21, C.L.A., 20, and R.L. Jr., 29.
The four have all pleaded not guilty.
The group is accused of stealing over $3 million collectively from the homes of Orlando Bloom, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and the shared home of Brian Austin-Green and Megan Fox. The celebrities listed items that included jewelry, designer clothes and accessories as stolen.
The thefts all occurred between September 2008 and August 2009.
In Lohan's home alone, the theft, occurring in August of 2009, garnered the thieves a haul of approximately $128,000 worth of jewelry, designer clothes and accessories.
Authorities believe that the ring was motivated by an obsession with celebrities – and a desire to own, and wear for themselves, the clothing and jewelry previously owned by well-known stars.
Rachel Bilson, a young actress whose home was also targeted by the burglars, was known for her expansive collection of Chanel designed clothing.
It is alleged that the burglars poured over celebrity magazines as if they were shopping catalogs – selecting which items they would like to see themselves wearing. Then, checking over satellite maps they found on the Internet, they gained the information they needed to decide the best way to break in to the homes.
Police figured out that the burglaries were tied together when they watched surveillance videos that were taken during the robberies at the homes of Patridge and Lohan. Several instances of similarities were noted that caused them to see a distinct connection between the crimes.
In 2009 Los Angeles Police Department Officer Brett Goodkin told CNN, "There's nothing to suggest that these kids were criminal masterminds – this wasn't an 'Ocean's 11' caper. It's really a series of quite run-of-the-mill residential burglaries, except they targeted the victims for who they are."
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