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LOS ANGELES : Four members of a youthful burglary ring alleged to have targeted the homes of celebrities in Los Angeles pleaded not guilty Wednesday after appearing in court.
Nicholas Prugo, Diana Tamayo and Courtney Ames, all aged 19, and Roy Lopez, 27, are accused of a crime spree that involved stars including Orlando Bloom, Megan Fox, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton.
Prugo is charged with another teenager with a July 13 burglary of Bloom's Hollywood home. He also faces seven counts of first-degree burglary for break-ins at the homes of Lohan, Fox, Hilton and Rachel Bilson.
Superior Court Commissioner Donald Kennedy denied a motion by Prugo's attorney to have his client's case separated from the rest of the defendants.
All four were ordered to return to court on January 21 when a date will be set for a preliminary hearing.
According to police and prosecutors, the gang - dubbed the "burglar bunch" by US media - selected their celebrity targets by scrutinising entertainment websites to determine whether their victims were likely to be at home.
The theft ring is believed to have stolen more than three million dollars in jewellery, designer clothes and accessories during a spree that began in December 2008 and continued through October.
- AFP/il
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