LOS ANGELES -- A 45-year-old man, suspected of being one of the leaders of a sophisticated burglary ring that stole millions of dollars of cash and property from exclusive homes is in custody Wednesday.
Troy Corsby Thomas was arrested Saturday, and is being held in lieu of $3,000,000 bail, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's Web site.
The suspect was arrested following an investigation conducted by a special Los Angeles Police Department task force into a three-year crime wave that included more than 150 break-ins in some of Los Angeles wealthiest neighborhoods, including Bel-Air, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, and the Hollywood Hills, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Thomas, dubbed the "Bel-Air Burglar," is believed to be one of two leaders of the so-called "Hillside Burglars" gang, the Los Angeles Times reported. The crew, though small, has taken more than $10 million dollars in the past three years, the newspaper reported.

Police records obtained by The Times indicate that Thomas described himself as an auto broker at the the time of his arrest. At a brief court appearance on Tuesday, Thomas pleaded not guilty to two charges of residential burglary in January 2006 and March 2008. Additional charges were expected to be filed, the newspaper reported.
Los Angeles officials announced the suspect's arrest and details of the investigation at a news conference at the LAPD's West Los Angeles Station. Those in attendance included Deputy Chief Charlie Beck, Commanding Officer, Detective Bureau; Deputy Chief Terry Hara, Commanding Officer, Operations West Bureau; Councilmember Jack Weiss, Council District 5; and, Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, Council District 11.
"These are very smart criminals," one LAPD source who was not authorized to speak publicly told the newspaper. "That's why it took us so long to catch them."
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The group of burglars usually work black clothes, ski masks and gloves during the break-ins and usually struck at night and on weekends, while the homeowners were out of town, police told The Times. The targeted homes belonged to many celebrities, corporate titans and studio chiefs, the newspaper added.
The skillful burglars evaded security systems and cameras in all but one burglary, where two muscular, unmasked men were caught on a security camera at an Encino estate, according to the newspaper, adding that police said their faces were difficult to see.