Historic DOJ Case Comes to a Close
Former 7-Eleven Franchise Mgr. Busted in 2013 Sting Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison
9-person scheme involved wire fraud, alien harboring and identify theft
A former Long Island 7-Eleven manager was sentenced to four years in prison Wednesday for wire fraud, alien harboring and identify theft, according to officials.

According to the United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, Malik Yousaf, of South Setauket, was sentenced Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Central Islip. Yousaf used stolen identities and harbored illegal alien workers to carry out the scheme, which took place at 7-Eleven stores throughout Long Island and Virginia, said Robert L. Capers, United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

According to court filings and facts presented in court, Capers said, Yousaf acted as the chief manager of five 7-Eleven franchise stores during the course of the conspiracy, hired dozens of illegal aliens, equipped them with more than 20 identities stolen from United States citizens, housed them at residences his co-conspirators owned, and stole substantial portions of his workers' wages.

During the scheme, Yousaf generated more than $182 million in proceeds from the 7-Eleven franchise stores, Capers said.

In addition, the court also entered an order forfeiting Yousaf's rights to eight 7-Eleven stores in New York and 10 7-Eleven stores in Virginia, as well as a Long Island residence worth more than $150,000, officials said.

Yousaf will also be required to pay $2.5 million in restitution for the back wages that he stole from his workers, Capers said.

According to officials, Baig, Yousaf and several others brought more than 50 immigrants into the country and in addition to having them work extra hours at the 7-Eleven shops they oversaw - reportedly up to 100-hour work weeks - the workers were forced to live in housing owned by Baig. Rent was then reportedly deducted from the pay earned by the workers, whose identities had been fabricated in order to falsify working documents.

U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch of the Eastern District of New York in June 2013, announced the indictment of nine people in one of the largest criminal immigrant employment investigations ever conducted by the Department of Justice. patch.com

Read the Department of Justice's full press release here.

See list of 9 people indicted here.

June 2013 - D&D Daily's original coverage:
7-Eleven Cracks Down on Franchisees After Federal Authorities Seize 14 Stores

October 2016 - Latest Case Update:
$1.25M Restitution Order Stands For Convicted 7-Eleven Franchisee Co-Conspirator
Illegal Immigrants Working on Dead People's ID's in 7-11's


FBI Says Terrorists May Target Food Sector
Many people associate terrorism with spectacular attacks such as those that occurred on September 11. However, lone wolf attacks are far more likely to happen in what has unfortunately become the new normal. "The last thing on your mind is a terrorist being interested in food. It does exist, and bad guys do have an interest in this area," said Special Agent Scott Mahloch, weapons of mass destruction coordinator for the Chicago division of the FBI during the Food Safety Consortium last week. What does this mean for the food industry?

According to the Department of Homeland Security, with 2.2 million farms and 900,000 restaurants in the United States, the food and agricultural sector accounts for 1/5 of the national economic activity. There are several industry targets for terrorism: Food processing facilities; food storage and distribution; restaurants, grocery stores and markets; commercial facilities; and cruise lines. foodsafetytech.com

New Round of Store Closings Expected as Dept. Store Chains Shrink Footprint
Nearly 1B sq. ft. of retail space to be 'rationalized' in coming years
Nearly one billion SF of retail space will be 'rationalized' in the coming years," said Suzanne Mulvee, director of U.S. research, retail, for CoStar Portfolio Strategy. "This may take the form of store closures, conversions to other uses, or rent roll downs."

Department store retailers are continuing to struggle, although not to the same extent as Sears. Macy's Corp. after Christmas is expected to announce 100 store closings during early 2017, in addition to the 38 stores closing this year.

Mulvee said retailers, on average, are generating fewer sales per square than they did during the decade leading up to the recession, meaning that fewer stores are economically viable. The trend is likely to continue and even pick up its pace in 2017, Mulvee added.

While this year's holiday shopping season will generally be better than last year bricks-and-mortar retailers, that "won't be enough to slow the trend of store closures that we are going to see in first-quarter 2017," said Garrick Brown, vice president of retail research for Cushman & Wakefield.

The good news is that the bloodletting anticipated early next year will be mostly relegated to a few key retail categories such as department stores and apparel chains. However, the closure wave will set the tone for retail during 2017, Brown said.

"Once that negative news cycle hits, it tends to color all of retail with the same broad brush and certainly doesn't help the stock price or brand equity of those publicly traded concepts that are otherwise weathering a challenging atmosphere out there."  costar.com
 
Apple will pay out $2 million to California retail employees
A long-running class action lawsuit between Apple and employees of its retail stores in California came to a quick conclusion today. The lawsuit was originally filed in 2011 by four former employees but expanded in 2014 to include around 20,000 Apple retail employees in California. The suit alleged that Apple failed to give employees adequate breaks, failed to pay wages in a timely manner after employees left the company and failed to provide accurate wage statements. engadget.com

JD Sports vows to investigate warehouse conduct
JD Sports will launch an investigation into how policies are being implemented at its main warehouse following claims of harsh working practices. The sportswear retailer has come in for stinging criticism following an undercover Channel 4 report, which included a claim that working at its Rochdale distribution centre is "worse than prison". retail-week.com

Chicago, IL: Top Cook County Prosecutor raising bar for Charging Shoplifters with Felony
In her first major policy move since taking office, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx is dramatically raising the bar for charging shoplifters with a felony crime. Prosecutors were told Monday that retail theft charges should remain a misdemeanor unless the value of the stolen goods exceeds $1,000 or the alleged shoplifter has 10 prior felony convictions - a significant leap from the current standard of a single felony conviction. Illinois has long had one of the lowest thresholds for filing felony retail theft charges in the Midwest, leading critics to argue that too many nonviolent offenders - many of them older and with significant mental health or addiction issues - were locked up at taxpayer expense for months or even years. State legislators in 2010 raised the standard for felony shoplifting charges from the theft of goods worth $300 to $500, but have not acted on efforts by politicians including Foxx's predecessor, Anita Alvarez, to raise the bar to $1,000. chicagotribune.com

Retailers' Discounts Run Deeper This Holiday Season
According to DynamicAction Inc., which analyzed $4 billion in online transactions, the number of U.S. receipts that included promotions jumped 79% in November from the same period a year earlier. For the first week of December, the number was more than double that of a year ago.

Since the recession, coupons for as much as 50% off have become a fixture of retailing, and efforts to wean shoppers away from them have largely been unsuccessful. At department stores, in particular, the proliferation of promotions has caused some brands such as Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. and Coach Inc. to reduce sales to these chains. wsj.com

How far will 'cashless' go in retail?
As other payment methods have proliferated, starting with credit cards and then debit cards, gift cards, prepaid cards and now mobile payment and digital wallets, good old-fashioned cash is increasingly getting a bad rap.

It's far from a universal opinion, but some retailers want a cashless future, despite the virtues the dollar bill still holds. Perry Kramer, vice president and practice lead at consultant Boston Retail Partners, contends that as many as 80 percent of retailers today are already largely cashless - not necessarily by conscious decision, but through the proliferation of payment cards. nrf.com

How Amazon and Walmart going 'small' can affect drug store retailers
The state of brick-and-mortar retail appears poised to change significantly in the near future with Amazon and Walmart introducing smaller grocery and convenience locations in early December.

Media reports peg as many as 2,000 more Amazon Go locations could open in the next decade, which certainly will be a major disruptive force for grocery store operators. In the least, the way consumers shop for groceries in the future is highly likely to change.

But considering Amazon Go is not attacking the pharmacy market at this time, will it also be a major disruptive force for drug store retailers? It's still too early to tell, but the answer could be "yes," although it may not be the threat grocery stores and convenience stores face. drugstorenews.com

CVS Health to close 70 stores

CVS plans 360-job Kansas City distribution center

Business Groups Fight Higher Miami Beach Minimum Wage: $13.31 by 2021

Anti-Trump movement calling for boycott of 30 retailers who sell Ivanka's apparel

Frigid weather could boost December apparel retail sales by $350 million


Quarterly Same Store Sales Results

Pier 1 Imports Q3 comp's up 1.8%, sales down 0.4%

Plymouth, MA: Police Investigating Possible C.C. Skimming Devices at Walmart
Officers learned that suspects had been seen tampering with card readers at cash registers. We are still investigating, but we believe they were removing skimmers from card readers," Plymouth Police said.

Though Plymouth Police said no victims had come forward, they added that people might seeing that their cards had been tampered with when they check their accounts.

One woman told WBZ-TV that she went shopping at the store on Black Friday. She didn't think anything of the experience until Tuesday when she noticed there had been a withdrawal from a bank in New York.

Leslee Wright Senior Manager, corporate communications, said in a statement that the company will be taking additional steps to make sure customers' bank accounts don't become compromised. cbslocal.com

Survey: Majority Of Businesses Would Pay Ransomware Attackers
70% of ransomware victims paid between $10K and $40K to retrieve their data
A new IBM report on the economics of ransomware should give cybercriminals plenty to cheer about this holiday season. The report is based on a survey of over 1,000 US adults and 600 business executives from small, medium, and large firms. One in two of the respondents said their organization had been the victim of a ransomware attack in the last year. About 70% of those hit said they paid ransoms ranging from $10,000 to $40,000 to get their data back.

Six out of 10 respondents said they'd be willing to do the same to recover data in a similar situation. Some 25% professed their willingness to shell out between $20,000 and $50,000 if it would help them regain access to locked data like financial and customer data, intellectual property, and business plans. darkreading.com

Security Leaders Want Vendor Accountability, Service Guarantees
If they had their druthers, enterprises overwhelmingly would like to see their IT security vendors held accountable for their failures in the event of a costly security breach. According to a new survey out this week, 95% of U.S. companies say they want to see their IT security vendors offer a guarantee on their products and services and 88% say they'd be willing to switch vendors if they could find a competitor who did offer such a guarantee.

"Security vendors are not economically aligned with their customers. From any vendor, you buy a product - firewall, data loss prevention, anti-virus, whatever - and if the product doesn't work and the customer gets hacked, the vendor suffers no liability as a result," says Jeremiah Grossman, chief of security strategy at SentinelOne, an advanced endpoint protection firm. "We don't see this in any other industry. Not in consumer electronics, not in the clothes we buy, the phones we buy, the watches we buy - nothing. Everything comes with a warranty, a service level agreement or something except in software and security." darkreading.com

Yahoo Says 1 Billion User Accounts Were Hacked
Yahoo, already reeling from its September disclosure that 500 million user accounts had been hacked in 2014, disclosed Wednesday that a different attack in 2013 compromised more than 1 billion accounts. The two attacks are the largest known security breaches of one company's computer network.

The newly disclosed 2013 attack involved sensitive user information, including names, telephone numbers, dates of birth, encrypted passwords and unencrypted security questions that could be used to reset a password. Yahoo said it is forcing all of the affected users to change their passwords and it is invalidating unencrypted security questions - steps that it declined to take in September.

Security has taken a back seat at Yahoo in recent years, compared to Silicon Valley competitors like Google and Facebook. And critics say the company was slow to adopt aggressive security measures, even after a breach of over 450,000 accounts in 2012 and series of spam attacks - a mass mailing of unwanted messages - the following year. nytimes.com

UK security "failing" to protect Brits from fraud and cyber criminals warn experts
The UK is failing to keep up with online fraud, and consumers are increasingly being left vulnerable to scams, unfair trading, and unsafe goods, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). The NAO estimated that consumers lost at least 14.8 billion pounds to fraud last year, of which 4.2 billion pounds is thought to be hidden from crime such as mass marketing fraud and counterfeit goods. mirror.co.uk

Ashley Madison to pay $1.6M settlement related to data breach

Top 15 security predictions for 2017

Agilence Named Best Retail Data Analytics
Solutions Provider 2016

Leading insight service provider recognized by Softech Intl for its cloud-based data analytics solution

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ, December 13, 2016 - Agilence, Inc., the market leading insight service provider of cloud based data analytics for store operations and loss prevention, today announced that Softech Intl. has named Agilence as the winner of the "Best Retail Data Analytics Solutions Provider" for their 2016 Business Awards.

The Softech Business Awards 2016 have been launched to commend leaders across a variety industry sectors. Softech looks to those who are changing the field, dedicated, and fundamentally have saved the most important resource of all...time.

The awards recognize those who provide an integral service, software or technology. Software is essential to modern life. It develops in leaps and bounds and as it does, it becomes more integrated into our day to day, improving our quality of life.

Speaking on the awards Tom Jones, Softech Awards Coordinator said: "This awards program highlights the incredible work of the businesses throughout the software and technology markets whose contributions are vital to the corporate market. It has been a pleasure showcasing the dedication and sheer hard work of all of our winners, and I would like to wish them the very best of luck going forward."

Softech Intl prides itself on the validity of its awards and winners. The awards are given solely on merit and are awarded to commend those most deserving for their ingenuity and hard work, distinguishing them from their competitors and proving them worthy of recognition.

"2016 has proved to be an exceptional year for Agilence underscored by our growing customer list and our release of 20/20 F&B for QSR and table service restaurant operators. We have worked hard to develop our 20/20 Data Analytics platform into the world's best analytics solutions for store operations performance and loss prevention and, based on customer and competitor feedback, we believe we have succeeded," said Russ Hawkins, CEO, Agilence, Inc. "We are honored to be recognized by Softech for our efforts in 2016."

Read more here.

Technologies That Display Products

Se-Kure Controls develops and manufactures innovative asset protection systems that maximize return on investment for its retail and industrial customers. Whether you're seeking a custom item or a standard product, they strive to keep your costs in line by controlling the manufacturing process from concept to completion. John Mangiameli, Vice President Business Development, and Greg Saputo, Director of Sales - Southeast, tell us how Se-Kure Controls ensures customer satisfaction with their reduced lead times, competitive pricing and high quality products.
 

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LPNN Quick Take #13

MCs Joe LaRocca and Amber Bradley go off-script in this LPNN Quick Take - from attempting Philadelphia accents to revealing someone's secret crush on Siri.

Solution Providers: Have a video or commercial you want to publish? Contact us

Amazon - Ulta Beauty - Wayfair - leaves everybody in the dust
Q3 E-Commerce Sales of 32 Publicly-Held Retailers in the Top 500 Soar 22.5%
82% of that Growth Comes From the Leader of the Pack - Amazon
By comparison, the U.S. Commerce Department reports that total e-retail sales for the quarter grew by 15.6%. That might suggest that public web retailers dramatically outperformed the rest of the industry, thereby grabbing market share.

But a closer look reveals that just one company-Amazon.com, Inc.-accounted for 81.7% of the quarterly revenue growth reported by the 32 publicly-held web merchants tracked in the report. The other 31 public e-retailers grew 13.3%, or about the same growth rate that all non-Amazon e-commerce operators registered in the quarter.

Ulta Beauty and Wayfair exceeding the 50% rate. internetretailer.com
 
Chinese Consumer Group Alleges Singles' Day Discount Fraud
A Chinese consumer group is urging the government to investigate fraudulent discount offers from this past Singles' Day. The Chinese state-backed group alleges that some 17 percent of the holiday discounts offered on this year's Singles' Day online shopping event were fake.

On Monday (Dec. 12), the Chinese Consumers' Association (CCA) released a report alleging that many major eCommerce platforms - including Alibaba, JD.com and Amazon - had artificially hiked up prices of their products before Nov. 11. In doing so, retailers were able to advertise superficially steeper discounts on the day of the annual shopping festival, conning consumers into believing they were getting bargains.

In some cases, shoppers were paying at, or even above, normal retail price. The CCA study recorded price changes on 12 eCommerce platforms between Oct. 20 and Nov. 25 of this year, said Reuters.

Of all the products surveyed by the CCA, 35 percent of Amazon's discounted offerings were found to still cost more than regular non-sale retail prices. For JD.com, that rate was at 26.8 percent, and almost 19 percent of surveyed discounted items on Alibaba's Tmall were still above regular retail prices, according to the CCA's findings. The CCA is now calling on the Chinese government to intervene and potentially punish offending merchants and eCommerce platforms. pymnts.com

Fraudsters building fake sites from retail brands - a growing problem
How to safeguard your online intellectual property
Most websites can be 'scraped' within a matter of seconds, meaning images and logos can easily be extracted manually or using automated software. From use of the simple 'right-click' facility to lift images to sophisticated web-scrapers that are freely available on the internet, criminals can download as many images from genuine sites they need to give them the collateral to build fake websites.

This is a dangerous situation for retailers that value their brand integrity and the relationship they build with customers since many of these fraudulent sites look extremely authentic.

This problem is exacerbated for retailers because fraudsters are able to create a replica of a trusted site and simulate legitimate products. Consumers are then scammed by being sold much poorer quality imitation products, or nothing at all.

What can retailers do?

One way to protect the intellectual property of images and help prevent the creation of fake websites is to use an image protection tool. This will enable retailers to control from the centre the accurate distribution, removal and syncing of brand images to and from targeted users throughout the global distribution chain.

Retailers should also look at other simple measures to defend themselves against hackers and fraud. These include requiring customers to create strong passwords, using a secure connection for online checkout, following industry standards and becoming validated with reputable authentication companies. retailrisk.com

UPS, FedEx Struggle to Keep Up With Surge in Holiday Orders

Goleta, CA: Suspected theft ring broken up, thousands of dollars of stolen goods found in car
A handful of suspected thieves, linked to a hefty theft ring, were arrested Tuesday in Goleta. Santa Barbara County Sheriff's officials are crediting a hawk-eyed citizen for helping break the case. Deputies later tracked down the vehicle at a hotel in Goleta. They found a man standing outside of the car with four people inside. It quickly became apparent that the group was under the influence of drugs; deputies say they spotted several syringes in plain view.

The five were detained while deputies search the car. Sheriff's officials say it was packed with thousands of dollars worth of stolen merchandise, including brand-new, name-brand shirts, designer jeans, purses, wallets and backpacks. There were also numerous bottles of expensive perfume, costume jewelry and home security cameras. Deputies also found stolen credit cards, wallets, and burglary tools; wire cutters, screwdrivers, flashlights and binoculars as well as a small amount of heroin and drug paraphernalia. keyt.com

Update: Salem, OR couple sentenced to prison, probation for shoplifting ring
A Salem man was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison and his wife was sentenced to probation for their role in a multi-thousand dollar shoplifting ring.

Michael Rascon, 40, and Maria Rojas, 35, were arrested in May on charges of unlawful racketeering, money laundering, attempted organized retail theft and first-degree theft by receiving. The couple each pleaded guilty to racketeering and four counts of first-degree theft and were sentenced Monday. The Northwest Organized Retail Crime Alliance investigated the couple, who officials thought were buying and selling stolen beauty products and clothing. The alliance is made up of investigators with Fred Meyer, Safeway/Albertsons and Target Organized Retail Crime Units.

Rascon and Rojas were "selling stolen items online, buying stolen merchandise and even had 'shopping lists' of things that they wanted stolen so they could turn around and sell." Undercover investigators made seven purchases, totaling more than $11,000, from the couple with a retail value of more than $37,000, according to a news release. After the purchases, investigators notified Salem Police Department of their findings. Detectives served a search warrant, Birr said. A large amount of new retail items still in their original packaging was located at the residence. "They were directing people to shoplift specific things for them," Salem police Lt. Steve Birr said after the couple's arrest. statesmanjournal.com

Robinson, IL: Three arrests made after $2,000 worth of merchandise stolen
from Wal-Mart
RPD stated they were called to Wal-Mart in Robinson for reports of a large theft. Within minutes of the report, a Palestine Police Officer stopped a vehicle with two of the three suspects who were involved. Police arrested Dirk Elkins, and Rusty L. McCoy. Then, a short while later, Robinson Police arrested Billy J. McCoy, who was on foot in the area. "The third suspect was located due to a diligent employee at a nearby business," Robinson Police stated. Officials report an estimated $2,000 worth of stolen merchandise was recovered. wthitv.com



Marion County, FL: Duo steals nearly $1,000 in nail polish from Florida Walmart
In the video, the woman started grabbing the nail polish as another man acted as a lookout for her, deputies said. The duo got away with $976.64 of nail polish, according to investigators. The Sheriff's Office posted surveillance video of the incident Dec. 7 on its Facebook page. whio.com



Blackfoot, ID: Suspect in thefts from Walmart, Home Depot and Shopko arrested
Idaho Falls Police arrested Tyler J Ker, 37, for burglary after he was caught stealing from multiple retail stores in Idaho Falls. Officers responded to Shopko, in reference to a burglary complaint around 1:54 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 13. Shopko employees reported that a man, later identified as Ker, walked out their store with $681 in stolen merchandise. Ker was able to flee the store. He was found and stopped by law enforcement. During the stop, police learned Ker stole merchandise from Walmart and Home Depot. Merchandise was valued at $373 and $103. am-news.com

Tulsa, OK: Serial burglars targeting small businesses
Tulsa police say a pair of thieves are hitting small businesses throughout the town, stealing more than $50,000 worth of things. The AT&T store at 14th and Lewis has been robbed not once, not twice, but four times. ktul.com

Shootings & Deaths

Goose Creek, SC: Shots fired inside Walmart; 2 suspects sought
Officials with the Goose Creek Police Department have confirmed there was an armed robbery at the Super Walmart on St. James Avenue in Goose Creek just after 11 p.m. Wednesday. Sgt. Terra Quinn said there were shots fired inside the store and two suspects are sought. No injuries reported. live5news.com





Temple Hills, MD: Shooting victim crashes car into Iverson Mall
Prince George's County police say a male shooting victim crashed his car into an entrance of a shopping mall in Temple Hills Wednesday afternoon. According to police, the crash happened at Iverson Mall at around 3:45 p.m. The victim told officers that he had been shot several time prior to the accident. fox5dc.com


Cloverdale,IN: Suspect in Police Shooting charged with attempted murder;
Officers serving warrant for retail theft
On Tuesday, Putnam County Prosecutor filed one count each of attempted murder, resisting law enforcement, battery and theft against Jeffrey P. Hunter, 48. Hunter is accused of shooting Officer Luke Brown on Saturday. Brown was one of four officers from various departments who went to a rural home in search of Hunter in connection with a theft report.

Hunter tried to steal a chainsaw worth $369.99 from a Tractor Supply store. Hunter tried to pay for the chainsaw, but his credit card was denied. That's when he grabbed the item off the counter, threw a piece of paper at the cashier and told her to call the bank because he was taking the chainsaw.

A warrant has been issued for Hunter's arrest, and Indiana State Police from the Putnamville post said in a news release troopers plan to take him into custody immediately upon completion of treatment at an Indianapolis hospital. Hunter suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen in an exchange of gunfire with Brown.

Police said Hunter opened the door and began firing as Brown approached the door of the residence on Saturday. The officer's injuries were minor thanks to a ballistic vest he was wearing, and he walked out of the emergency room roughly six hours after being shot, his chief said. tribstar.com fox59.com

Gauteng, South Africa: Shots fired as Hayward Diamonds store is robbed at East Rand Mall

Robberies & Thefts

Wichita Falls, TX: Woman Arrested for Armed Robbery Was Already Out on Bond for Alleged Murder
A woman already charged in a Clay County murder in September is back in jail after Wichita Falls police say she was involved in two armed robberies this week. 33-year-old Trinity Elizabeth Noland was arrested yesterday after police say she went into the Dollar General and asked the clerk to call 911. Authorities say Noland originally told officers that she had been kidnapped and held against her will. Police located 27-year-old Zachary Trumble in the parking lot and arrested him after finding a gun in his vehicle with the serial number scratched off. He is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and tampering with id numbers. texomashomepage.com


Phoenix, AZ: Suspect arrested in 12 Valley cell phone store Robberies
A man suspected in as many as 12 armed robberies has been captured in Tempe. Gilbert Bella Martinez is accused of stealing hundreds of dollars in cash, and thousands of dollars worth of cell phones from Valley cell phone stores, according to court records. When police located Martinez at his Tempe home, he ran from officers and threw his handgun into a nearby parking structure. After he was caught, Martinez told police that he planned on killing himself with the one bullet that was in the gun. abc15.com


Columbia, TN: Police Searching For Violent Armed Robbers
Police are searching for armed robbers who have targeted three different stores in Columbia in the past month. "They don't get hardly any cash from these stores, but they're putting so many people's lives at risk including their own," Lt. Joey Gideon of the Columbia Police Department said. newschannel5.com

Reynoldsburg, OH: Retailers, Police and State Law Enforcement Team-up
for 2 Day Police Sting
Each year of the past three years, Reynoldsburg police officers answered nearly 400 calls for service in this target area related to theft, shoplifting, and car break-ins. Pickerington Police are still tallying numbers for all of 2016, but they appear to be on track to match the 206 retail-theft cases last year. To combat this crime trend, Reynoldsburg Police coordinated a two-day retail theft operation with police from Whitehall and Pickerington, along with the State Highway Patrol and Ohio Homeland Security. 10tv.com




San Bernardino CA: Armed Robber locked inside store desperately tries to break out
Mix & Match in San Bernardino says a would-be thief became stuck in his store when the doors were locked as the man was attempting to commit a burglary there. dailymail.co.uk




Des Moines, IA: Dick's Sporting Goods Employee charged with $6,300 felony theft
An employee of Dick's Sporting Goods was charged Wednesday in Des Moines County District Court with stealing more than $6,300 in merchandise by allowing two customers to leave the store without paying for the items. Kathy Conard was charged with second-degree theft, a class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison. thehawkeye.com

Cherokee County, OK: Walgreens employee charged in $11,000 refund fraud theft
Prosecutors in Cherokee County have charged a former Walgreens employee after she confessed to stealing merchandise and using customer receipts to give herself cash "refunds," resulting in a loss of nearly $11,000. Jessica Doriesa Coulter, 22, is charged with felony embezzlement, which could result in a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of $5,000 if she is found guilty. Prosecutors allege the thefts began in November 2014 and continued until October 2016. tahlequahdailypress.com


UK: 'Boots' shoplifter banned from area stores for $900 theft

UK: London: Quantity of jewelry stolen from Nash Jewellers half an hour before store's scheduled close

Kay Jewelers in the Towne Center at Batavia, Batavia, NY reported a Grab & Run on 12/13, item valued at $3,299

Kay Jewelers in the Port Charlotte Mall, Port Charlotte, FL reported a Grab & Run on 12/14, item valued at $4,199

Credit Card Fraud

Bothell, WA: Fred Meyer seeking 3 in Credit card fraud
If you shop at the Fred Meyer in Thrasher's Corner, you might recognize a group of suspects wanted by police for credit card fraud. Bothell Police released a photo of three suspects on Wednesday who they say used stolen credit cards to make purchases at the Fred Meyer. patch.com



Missoula County, MO: More than 45 victims, $35K stolen in check fraud scheme

Panama City, FL: PCPD seeks suspect in credit card fraud

Counterfeit

UK: Fake Chanel jewelry haul seized at Manchester, England Airport

Skimming

Meridian, ID: Police say customers at the Pioneer Federal Credit Union had their cards skimmed when using the drive-thru ATM
The ATM was used on Dec. 10 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. ktvb.com

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