One of several South American nationals accused in a coordinated string of home break-ins in affluent neighborhoods in Oakland County and other areas was convicted Tuesday of several crimes.

At the conclusion of a jury trial in Oakland County Circuit Court, Chilean national Ignacio Antonio Ruiz-Saldias, 29, was found guilty of operating a criminal enterprise and three counts of conspiracy to commit second-degree home invasion. He’s believed to be part of a theft ring operated by South Americans that had targeted eight homes in Oakland Township, Rochester Hills, Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Grosse Pointe and Ada Township in suburban Grand Rapids. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, jewelry and other items were reported stolen during the string of break-ins, which occurred in February 2023.

Ruiz-Saldias and four others were arrested in March 2023 in Indiana. He’s the first of the group to go through trial.

Prosecutors from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office have taken on the cases.

Ruiz-Saldias’ jail file shows a hold from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“”I am proud of the teamwork and the effort that brought this case to a close with a conviction,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard stated in a news release. “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 Nessel’s office for their successful court work.”

According to the sheriff’s office, a coordinated effort by law enforcement in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio tied Ruiz-Saldias and the other defendants to the home invasions, based on similarities in the crimes. Three of the others are in custody in Ohio awaiting extradition to Michigan to face charges in Oakland County.

Ruiz-Saldias is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Kwame Rowe on June 16.