BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA: Benjamin Eitan Ackerman, a Beverly Hills resident, has appeared in court accused of orchestrating burglaries targeting prominent the homes of prominent celebrities, including Usher and Adam Lambert.
Ackerman, 37, was seen in court on Wednesday, August 16. He faces accusations of stealing valuable items worth millions, such as jewelry, designer handbags, shoes and artwork, from celebrity residences, per the Daily Mail.
Who is Benjamin Eitan Ackerman?
Ackerman reportedly posed as a realtor to gain access to celebrities' homes. After his arrest in January 2019, law enforcement discovered around 2,000 stolen items hidden in his residence and a storage unit.
Prosecutors in California claimed that between December 2016 and July 2018, valuables valued at least $5.5M were stolen from various celebrity houses. Altogether 150 luxury items, worth $2.5M, were stolen from a home in Beverly Hills.
Ackerman's trial is set to commence with jury selection on August 21. He previously pleaded no-contest for stealing from the homes of Usher, Adam Lambert and Dorit Kemsley.
He has also pleaded not guilty to three additional charges, including a 2017 break-in at former NFL player Shaun Phillips' residence.
How did Benjamin Eitan Ackerman steal from celebrities' homes?
During the court hearing, Judge Mark S Arnold ruled that witness statements will be allowed as evidence during the trial. Ackerman's lawyers, who stated in July that he was "contesting and proceeding to trial on the charges that he is innocent of."
His lawyers, however, said at that time that he "has accepted responsibility for what he did," when he pleaded guilty to 11 counts of residential burglary, 28 counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
If found guilty, Ackerman could spend 45 years in prison.
Ackerman was accused of working with Los Angeles real estate agent Jason Emil Yaselli, 36, to carry out these burglaries. Prosecutors alleged that Yaselli urged Ackerman to steal items from 14 homes and then sell them to settle Yaselli's credit card debts.
Ackerman reportedly deposited between $5,500 and $20,000 into Yaselli's account every month.
LAPD Detective Jared Timmons said that Ackerman posed a realtor to gain access to these homes. He said, "When he showed up, he was dressed to the nines. He acted the part. He was very slick."
The stolen goods often go unnoticed by victims until much later. The burglaries had raised doubts about whether Ackerman was acting alone. The investigation led to the discovery of tampered surveillance videos and dislodged cameras.
In September 2018, authorities conducted a search of Ackerman's residence, finding a comprehensive 15-camera indoor-outdoor surveillance system.
The search yielded a vast assortment of luxury items such as designer clothing, handbags, watches, and valuable accessories.
Authorities said that Ackerman manipulated surveillance cameras and targeted homes based on real estate listings. He pretended to be a realtor during open houses to evaluate potential targets. He even stole an heirloom from a family friend.
Messages between Ackerman and Yaselli indicated they regularly communicated about getting rich.
Despite not directly participating in the burglaries, Deputy District Attorney Jeffrey Strodel asserted that Yaselli was "morally and legally just as responsible" for the crimes.
