LOS ANGELES — Ryan Levon Roman has been arrested for allegedly stealing over $100,000 worth of professional camera equipment after agreeing to rent it from a local business. Roman, who is a convicted felon, is suspected of running a rental scam that has left several victims in its wake.
Ruoyu Li and Yang Fei, who own a camera rental business, were the first to report being defrauded by Roman. In January, they rented two Tokina zoom lenses and an Arri Alexa 35 camera package—premium cinematic gear—to Roman for a rate of $600 per day for two weeks. However, Roman failed to pay them, and when Li and Fei attempted to track the equipment, they discovered the hidden tracking device had been removed.
“He was a real smooth talker,” Li said of Roman. “He was talking about hiring me.” Fei added, “At first, we blamed ourselves really hard. We thought we were so stupid, making this mistake, but then we learned, he’s a convicted felon, and he will always have a way to trick us.”
Soon after, Fei realized they were not the only victims. She found that Roman had allegedly targeted others in Orange County, Long Beach, and surrounding areas. Some stolen equipment was found in pawn shops, but their gear has yet to be recovered.
On Wednesday, Burbank Police arrested Roman in connection with another similar theft case dating back to December 2024. Detectives believe there are many more victims, and the investigation is ongoing. Roman was reportedly on probation for other thefts in Los Angeles County when he was apprehended.
Roman has been charged with one count of grand theft by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and is being held on $75,000 bail. Authorities urge anyone who suspects they have fallen victim to Roman’s scam to come forward.
