Chilean man sentenced in connection to Oakland County home invasions

METRO DETROIT — A man linked to a transnational gang suspected in a series of affluent home break-ins across Michigan has been sentenced to prison.

On June 16, Chilean national Ignacio Ruiz-Saldias, 29, was sentenced to 10-20 years incarceration for his role in various home invasions across Michigan.

Ruiz-Saldias is the first defendant tried in Oakland County with ties to a South American theft ring that Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said targeted eight homes in Oakland Township and Rochester Hills, as well as Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Grosse Pointe and Ada Township, between Feb. 3 and 17.

“I am proud of the teamwork and the effort that brought this case to a close with a conviction,” Bouchard said in a statement. “I hope it sends a clear message to the transnational gangs that there are consequences for criminal behavior in Oakland County.”

Ruiz-Saldias was convicted in April by an Oakland County jury of one count of conducting a criminal enterprise, a 20-year felony, and three counts of conspiracy to commit second-degree home invasion, a 15-year felony, for his role in home invasions taking place in February 2023 in Ada Township, Grosse Pointe Farms, Rochester and Rochester Hills.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said the highly orchestrated home invasions Saldias participated in typically occurred when the homes were vacant. The gangs used techniques to thwart alarm systems and employed extensive precautions to avoid personal identification on home security camera systems and by forensic analyses of crime scenes. Nessel said losses from similar break-ins in recent years fitting this pattern measure in the millions of dollars as money, jewelry, high-value items and safes have been stolen from affected properties.

“Our FORCE Team worked tirelessly in concert with a multi-jurisdictional task force to investigate and prosecute members of this highly organized criminal operation, which here led to a significant sentence,” Nessel said, referring to the Focused Organized Retail Crime Enforcement team, in a statement. “I applaud their dedication throughout this case and remain committed to working with our partners to protect Michigan residents, ensuring those who commit such brazen crimes are brought to justice.”

Ruiz-Saldias and four other defendants were arrested in March 2023 in Carmel, Indiana. Through cooperation between law enforcement in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, similarities were discovered in home invasions, and criminal cases were made against the defendants. Two defendants are in custody in Ohio awaiting extradition to Oakland County to face charges in Michigan.

Ruiz-Saldias was charged while in custody at the Hamilton County Jail in Hamilton County, Indiana, where he was convicted on separate home invasion-related charges.

Investigators believe he may also have been involved in home invasions in Wayne and Kent counties.

Bouchard said previously that these transnational crime groups are made up of individuals from South American countries. He said Oakland County is now on their radar. Bouchard said they are believed to have entered the country in one of two ways, either illegally across the southern border or through the Visa Waiver Program.

He said they purchase fake identification and often overstay their visa and cancel their return date. They also are known to establish residency in the areas they are targeting. They do this through fraudulent housing applications or Airbnb, he said in a past report.

Ruiz-Saldias’ attorney, Scott Kozak, could not be reached for comment at press time.