A Los Angeles thief has been sentenced to 31 years behind bars for masterminding burglaries of the rich and famous by posing as a real estate agent.
Benjamin Eitan Ackerman, 37, appeared downcast as he was sentenced last Wednesday for his role in stealing millions of dollars’ worth of jewelry, designer purses, shoes and artwork from celebrity victims including Usher and Adam Lampert.
His arrest
Ackerman was initially arrested in January 2019 in a plot with alleged co-conspirator Jason Yaselli, who officials say worked in tandem to target mansions across Hollywood.
Throughout a near-two-year spree from December 2016 to July 2018, at least $5.5 million was taken from homes – with one Beverly Hills home losing 150 luxury items totaling $2.5 million in a single raid.
Ackerman looked to the floor as he walked into the courthouse in prison uniform and handcuffs, before victims including the tearful former Vanity Fair editor Punch Hutton read out victim impact statements.
He was found guilty
Ackerman was found guilty last month at Los Angeles Superior Court for the robberies, and previously pleaded no contest to some charges against him including stealing from the home of Real Housewives star Dorit Kemsley.
He also pleaded not guilty to three other counts, including a 2017 break-in at former NFL player Shaun Phillips’ home.
Who is Ackerman’s partner-in-crime?
After his arrest in January 2019, investigators seized over 2,000 stolen items stashed in his home and a storage unit.
He allegedly teamed up with Yaselli, who was also arrested but the status of his criminal case is unclear, to trick their way into lavish mansions and scope them out.
Prosecutors say Yaselli encouraged ‘slick’ Ackerman to target a total of 14 mansions, before selling the stolen items and using the profits to pay off Yaselli’s credit card.
Each month, Ackerman deposited between $5,500 and $20,000 into Yaselli’s account, prosecutors said.
Their alleged scheme saw Ackerman pose as a realtor to gain a closer look at the homes, which LAPD detective Jared Timmons described as him ‘dressed to the nines.’
‘He acted the part – he was very slick,’ Timmons added.
Long list of his victims
Punch Hutton, the former deputy editor of Vanity Fair who was pictured bursting into tears as she spoke at Ackerman’s sentencing Wednesday, had her home targeted in December 2017.
Hutton and her film producer husband John Hodges became victims after leaving their home for an open house event in a lavish neighborhood also home to Usher and Lampert.
An online listing included dozens of photos and a 3D tour of their home which showed off their personal possessions.
Ackerman and Yaselli would both allegedly trawl through online home sale listings for their next victims.
How Ackerman carried out his crimes
The enticing listing drew the attention of Ackerman, who jumped over their backyard fence and hoisted himself onto the roof and snuck into the master bedroom – which he had unlocked earlier during the open house.
After successfully stealing a Louis Vuitton tote and a blue Goyard tote, along with a jewelry box, he took a picture and sent it to Yaselli saying: ‘Well just when you thought the day was done ;)’
Also among the stolen items were jewelry, handbags and Hodges’ Rolexes, with the couple losing in total of around $215,000 of valuables.
Hutton’s case was key to tracking down Ackerman, after she found fingerprints and shoeprints that cops later used to zero in on the suspect.
Similarly to Hutton, Ackerman found the listing online, but returned to the home and stole items on more than one occasion.
Who is Ackerman?
Ackerman was known as a skilled thief, and his victims often did not realize they had been targeted until they later found valuables missing.
Paradigm Talent Agency boss Michael Gores and Logitechs entertainment and talents boss Linna Stalberg were also left out of pocket by the devious thieves.
The thief’s skillset also saw him able to disarm surveillance videos and cameras with malfunctioning settings.
‘Cameras would simply go black until several hours after the burglary occurred,’ Timmons said.
Twelve LAPD officers raided his home in September 2018, and discovered a 15-camera indoor-outdoor surveillance system.
Designer clothing and handbags were found organized by brand, including labels such as Balenciaga, Chanel, Fendi, Givenchy, Hermès and Louis Vuitton.
Goyard wallets, Cartier, Patek Phillipe and Rolex watches were also recovered as well as diamond encrusted Gucci hair clips and hundreds of bottles of expensive wine.
