Luis Tanahara is due in court May 27 for a preliminary hearing setting
May 27, 2026 – LOS ANGELES, CA – A former employee of MGA Entertainment has been charged with 
stealing diecast model car collectibles valued at over $1 million from the company’s factory in the San Fernando Valley.
“My prosecutors do not come to play: If you steal collectible toy cars or any cargo from our businesses or ports, you will be fully prosecuted,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. “Diecast cars like CarTuned are not everyday toys or merchandise with a set retail value, they are prized collectibles with a premium value to a collector, representing a significant loss for the victim, MGA Entertainment. My office will continue to fight for our local businesses and hold criminals, whether they are inside employees or outside thieves, accountable.”
Luis Tanahara (55) of Simi Valley is charged in case 26CJCF02175 with one felony count of grand theft and one felony count of receiving stolen property with special allegations that he stole property valued at over $1 million.
On February 14, at approximately 4:30 p.m., Tanahara, while employed as a senior product designer at MGA Entertainment, allegedly stole CarTuned collectibles valued at approximately $500,000 from a shipping container at the company’s Chatsworth factory and loaded the items into his personal vehicle. On March 4, investigators seized over $1 million in CarTuned collectibles from his residence. The cars are highly valued by hobbyists and collectors, especially when sold in surprise “Master Packs.”
The case was filed for a warrant on April 7. Tanahara was arrested and pleaded not guilty at arraignment on April 10. He was released on his own recognizance and ordered to stay away from MGA Entertainment.
A preliminary hearing setting is scheduled for May 27 in Department 35 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
If convicted as charged, he faces up to six years in state prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Jeffrey Illions of the Organized Crime Division and remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.
The charges in this case are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Source: Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office
