LAPD recovers $1 million in stolen BNSF cargo after eBay shoe listing tip

Los Angeles police recovered roughly $1 million in stolen BNSF Railroad cargo after detectives traced a pair of shoes listed for sale on eBay. The October 21 search of a Chatsworth business uncovered 35 pallets of merchandise and ended with the arrest of its owner, the Los Angeles Police Department announced on October 26.

Investigators identified the location as DesignerDeals4Less in the 21000 block of Nordhoff Street in Chatsworth, a San Fernando Valley neighborhood. The recovered inventory included athletic footwear and backpacks carrying the brands Brooks, Hoka, New Balance, Adidas, ON, Salomon and JanSport. The find follows a separate $1 million railroad cargo recovery at a Whittier shoe retailer earlier in October.

How did an eBay listing crack the case?

The investigation began when detectives discovered stolen Brooks/Disney collaborative shoes advertised on eBay. They arranged a controlled purchase, which established the connection to DesignerDeals4Less and gave authorities grounds for a search warrant.

For shippers and forwarders, the mechanics matter: stolen freight reentered commercial distribution through a business buying from unauthorized sources. Online marketplaces have now become a traceable trail — and a liability — for fences of stolen cargo.

The case sits within a wider pattern of BNSF boxcar burglaries in California. In August, deputies recovered more than $123,000 in Brooks shoes after a boxcar burglary near Ludlow, California. Two days later, they recovered more than $150,000 in New Balance shoes after another boxcar burglary near Daggett, California. Police in Colton, California, separately recovered about $54,000 in stolen Hot Wheels merchandise after a BNSF train burglary. Authorities have not established a connection between those recoveries and the Los Angeles investigation.

What role did marketplace rules play?

Under eBay's stolen property policy, sellers cannot list merchandise obtained through theft, and the company maintains a process for law enforcement to request records during criminal investigations. The federal INFORM Consumers Act additionally requires marketplaces to verify identifying information from qualifying high-volume sellers.

LAPD has not disclosed whether eBay provided records or whether the federal verification requirements helped identify the business. FreightWaves contacted eBay to ask whether the company assisted investigators or acted against the seller's account; the company had not responded before publication.

Who was arrested, and on what charge?

Detectives contacted the business owner while executing the warrant on October 21. According to LAPD, the individual acknowledged purchasing stolen railroad merchandise through unauthorized distribution sources. Police identified him as Heros Tasci, 51, of Simi Valley, California, and booked him at Van Nuys Jail under California Penal Code Section 496(a), which covers receiving stolen property. Tasci is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

The department has announced no additional arrests connected to the investigation. Police have not publicly identified the distributors who supplied the merchandise, nor have they explained how the products reached DesignerDeals4Less.

Which agencies took part?

The LAPD Commercial Crimes Division's Cargo Theft Task Force coordinated the operation with a broad coalition of railroad and federal partners:

• BNSF Police, Union Pacific Railroad Police and Alameda Belt Line Police
• Los Angeles Port Police and Los Angeles World Airport Police
• Homeland Security Investigations and the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office Bureau of Investigation

BNSF Railway declined to comment on the specific investigation. "These criminal acts disrupt the movement of goods, increase costs for consumers and businesses," the railroad stated, adding that it continues to collaborate with law enforcement against cargo theft.

What remains unknown?

LAPD has not disclosed when or where the merchandise was originally stolen from BNSF trains, who carried out the thefts, or how many shipments contributed to the recovered inventory. FreightWaves contacted LAPD for additional details but had not received a response before publication.

The investigation remains open. Anyone with information can contact LAPD's Commercial Crimes Division at 213-486-8766 between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m., or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-222-8477. For carriers, the case signals that online resale platforms are becoming an increasingly effective — and increasingly monitored — route by which investigators trace stolen rail freight back into commercial channels.