A Chilean national has been convicted for his role in a series of home invasions that targeted affluent neighborhoods in Oakland County. 

Ignacio Ruiz-Saldias, 29, was found guilty of one count of conducting a criminal enterprise and three counts of conspiracy to commit second-degree home invasion, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced. 

Ruiz-Saldias is the first defendant to be tried in Oakland County with ties to an alleged South American theft ring that targeted eight homes in high-end neighborhoods in Ada Township, Grosse Pointe Farms, Rochester and Rochester Hills between Feb. 3, 2023, and Feb. 17, 2023. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard says hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, handbags and jewelry were taken from the homes. 

"These home invasions were not random – they were deliberate, highly organized, and had a significant impact on the families and communities involved," said Nessel in a statement. "I am grateful to the jury, as well as the FORCE Team and task force who made this conviction possible. We will continue to work together to protect Michigan residents and hold accountable any individuals connected to these sophisticated criminal enterprises."  

Ruiz-Saldias and four others were arrested in March 2023 in Carmel, Indiana. He was convicted in Hamilton County, Indiana, on separate home-invasion charges. Officials say three other defendants are currently in custody in Ohio awaiting extradition to Oakland County. 

"I am proud of the teamwork and the effort that brought this case to a close with a conviction," said Bouchard in a statement. "I hope it send a clear message to the transnational gangs that there are consequences for criminal behavior in Oakland County. I thank the prosecutors from Attorney General Nessel's office for their successful court work."  

Ruiz-Saldias will be sentenced on June 16.