The theft ring reportedly conducted deep research into their likely victims and looked for migrant business owners who posted frequently on social media to help the crooks compile data on when they would be home and what things would be in the house when they targeted them. The victims’ daily movements were tracked, and some even had GPS devices affixed to their vehicles.

A neighbor of one of the victims even reported finding surveillance cameras hidden on her property and aimed at her neighbor’s home.

“The victims had varying degrees of financial success,” court documents say. “Some kept cash in their home to facilitate operations for their business. For many, those financial achievements were expressed through purchases of gold, jewelry, and other valuables. And their success became the target of the defendants’ greed.”

“They were stalking them for weeks, anywhere from one week to three weeks, watching where they were going, what they were doing, and planning out how they were going to rob their home of all their valuables without getting caught,” Kent County Sheriff’s Sgt. Scott Dietrich told the media, according to WOOD-TV.

One victim said, “Emotionally, I feel broken,” while another, who is an Asian migrant, said he was ruined, adding, “Financially, this has been a big loss for me. Since I came to America, I have saved everything, every dollar, every item. I have worked hard and lived honestly. And in one moment, it was all gone.”