Shawn Naputi, a Richmond resident, was sentenced on Jan. 7 to five years and four months in state prison for leading a massive retail theft operation that crossed 11 California counties, the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Between October 2023 and May 2025, Naputi committed more than 80 separate thefts, stealing over $83,000 worth of merchandise from major retailers including Best Buy, REI, Kohl’s, and The Home Depot.
The investigation began in May 2024 after Naputi was caught attempting to steal $2,400 in goods from a Friedman’s Home Improvement in Santa Rosa. He walked into the store, filled a trash can with merchandise, and headed for the exit, but an employee caught him in the act. He was reportedly linked to over a half-dozen thefts at the same store over four months.
While he was initially linked to thefts in Sonoma County, a specialized Organized Retail Theft Unit used state grant funding to coordinate with investigators in neighboring areas, including Contra Costa, Alameda, and San Francisco counties. This collaboration revealed the true scale of his crimes, which stretched from the Bay Area to the Sacramento region.
In fact, records show he’s been arrested at least 16 times since 2021 on suspicion of drugs, theft and other crimes, including in Contra Costa County.
Taking advantage of the recently passed Proposition 36, the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office assumed jurisdiction over all the affected counties to prosecute Naputi under a single, consolidated criminal complaint. Naputi pleaded no-contest to six felony charges and was ordered to pay $83,093.64 in restitution to the victimized businesses.
In addition to his prison term, two years of which will be served in actual custody, he is now subject to specialized restraining orders that legally bar him from entering the retailers he targeted.
