A Los Angeles woman was sentenced to seven years in prison for her role in a pickpocketing operation that targeted customers in Thousand Oaks in 2017 and 2018, authorities said.

Ashley Christina Botteri, 21, was the second of two women convicted in the scheme, according to the Thousand Oaks police. She was sentenced in August.

Jennifer Mercedes Garcia Huapaya, 44, of Los Angeles, was also sentenced in May to four years in prison in addition to three years she received in Los Angeles County, officials said.

The investigation that led to their arrests unfolded in 2017 when police saw a high rate of wallet thefts happening in local retailers, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, which is contracted for police services in Thousand Oaks.

Detectives from Thousand Oaks Police Investigations Bureau worked several months to identify several suspects, including Botteri who worked in an organized group of traveling South American pickpocket crews, sheriff's officials said.

Investigators learned that Botteri and Huapaya operated in California and traveled to several other states such as Minnesota targeting elderly women, according to authorities.

The suspects removed women's wallets from their purses while hanging over the back of chairs while the victims were sitting at restaurants and coffee houses, officials said. They also used distracting methods to steal wallets from purses while people had them in their carts in grocery stores.

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Investigators said Botteri and Huapaya immediately used credit cards from the stolen wallets to purchase gift cards and high-end merchandise at nearby retails stores, officials said. They would then fence them to obtain funds, authorities said.

In May 2018, detectives finally obtained arrest warrants for the suspects along with other individuals in their organized group, officials said.

In September 2018, Botteri was found to be living in Los Angeles County and was arrested during a search warrant of her residence, authorities said.

She faced charges of identity theft, unauthorized use of personal identifying information of another, commercial burglary over $950, identity theft from elder or dependent adult and theft from elder or dependent adult, according to jail records.

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Huapaya was already in prison in Minneapolis and was later taken to Santa Barbara where she faced similar commercial burglary charges and served some time there, authorities said.

In March, Huapaya was transferred into the custody of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office for the warrant. She faced charges of conspiracy, identity theft, elderly abuse and commercial burglary over $950, authorities said.

In April, both Botteri and Huapaya pleaded guilty to their respective charges.

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Mo Jazi is a breaking news reporter with The Star. Reach him at mo.najafianJazi@vcstar.com or 805-437-0236.