6 Teens Arrested as Suspects in $250,000 Mail Fraud Scam : Crime: Police say youths ran nationwide solicitation from office in San Marino.

Six West San Gabriel Valley teen-agers have been arrested on suspicion of operating a San Marino-based mail fraud scheme believed to have taken in $250,000 in the last two years, police said Friday.

San Marino Police Chief Paul W. Butler said the San Marino, Arcadia and Pasadena teen-agers worked out of an office near the upscale suburb’s City Hall, using nationwide advertising and a toll-free 800 number to solicit money for information on in-home employment.

The 17-year-old San Marino High School student alleged to be the ringleader drove a $35,000 Mitsubishi 3000 GT sports car purchased with the profits, police said. He was arrested at his parents’ house Thursday afternoon on suspicion of felony grand theft, conspiracy to commit grand theft and theft by false pretenses. The other five, from 15 to 17 years old, were arrested Thursday afternoon at the business. They were released to the custody of their parents and guardians. Police would not release their names because of their ages.

Police said the case would not be presented to the district attorney’s office for at least a week because of the volume of records that have to be examined.

U.S. Postal Service officials, who were also investigating the operation, have not decided whether to press federal charges, a spokesman said.

Police said the youths placed advertisements in throwaway circulars around the nation promoting three businesses named Prime Opportunities, U.S. Networking and Networking America.

One ad read: “To be honest, it sounded too good to be true, but I decided to give it a try and I am glad that I did! I took in $1,500 last week and only had to work four hours.”

The teen-agers--often coming to work as early as 5 a.m. to field East Coast calls--mailed brochures offering callers more information for $27. Police say they have identified at least 40 victims in several states.

With the arrests, the chief said, “we’re trying to make a statement: ‘My gosh, we can’t allow something like that to happen in San Marino.’ ”