A spree of home burglaries by suspected transnationals that swept through metro Detroit starting in 2023, in part, caused by the open border policies of the Biden Administration, is starting to meet the hand of justice.
A Chilean National who was convicted for his part in the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, jewelry, and expensive handbags taken from homes in exclusive neighborhoods in Oakland, Wayne, and Kent counties was sentenced to a lengthy prison term on Wednesday.
Ignacio Antonio Ruiz-Saldias, 29, was sentenced to 10 years to 20 years in prison on one count of operating a criminal enterprise, and 4 years to 15 years on each of four counts of conspiracy to commit home invasion, second degree.
He was sentenced by Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kwame Rowe. A jury convicted Ruiz-Saldias in April.
“I am proud of the teamwork and the effort that brought this case to a close with a conviction,” says Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard. “I hope it sends a clear message to the transnational gangs that there are consequences for criminal behavior in Oakland County.
“I thank the prosecutors from Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office for their successful court work. I also commend Judge Rowe for leveling an appropriate sentence.”
Ruiz-Saldias is the first defendant tried in Oakland County as being part of a South American theft group that had targeted eight homes in affluent neighborhoods in Oakland Township and Rochester Hills as well as Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Grosse Pointe, and Ada Township in suburban Grand Rapids.
The thefts occurred from Feb. 3, 2023, to Feb. 17, 2023. Ruiz-Saldias and four other defendants were arrested in March 2023, in Carmel, Ind., through cooperation between law enforcement in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.
Two other defendants are in custody in Ohio awaiting extradition to Oakland County to face charges here.
The crime wave was the subject of a DBusiness feature story, “Serenity Lost,” by John Sitkiewicz, in the July/August 2025 issue.
To access a digital version of the story (pages 32-35), visit here.
