Oakland County, MI – A Chilean national has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison for his involvement in a series of high-value break-ins targeting luxury homes in Southeast and Western Michigan.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, 29-year-old Ignacio Antonio Ruiz-Saldias was sentenced Monday to 10–20 years in prison for operating a criminal enterprise, and an additional 4–15 years for each of four counts of conspiracy to commit second-degree home invasion. A jury convicted Ruiz-Saldias in April. The sentence was handed down by Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kwame Rowe.
Authorities say Ruiz-Saldias is the first defendant tried in Oakland County linked to a South American theft ring responsible for targeting homes in affluent areas such as Oakland Township, Rochester Hills, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Grosse Pointe, and Ada Township near Grand Rapids. The thefts spanned from Feb. 3 to Feb. 17, 2023, with stolen items reportedly including cash, jewelry, and luxury handbags worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“I am proud of the teamwork and the effort that brought this case to a close with a conviction,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard stated. “I hope it sends a clear message to transnational gangs that there are consequences for criminal behavior in Oakland County.”
Ruiz-Saldias and four other individuals were arrested in March 2023 in Carmel, Indiana, following a multi-agency investigation involving law enforcement in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. Two co-defendants remain in custody in Ohio awaiting extradition to face charges in Oakland County.
Sheriff Bouchard also extended thanks to Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office and commended Judge Rowe for issuing what he called an “appropriate sentence.”
