The Link Between ORC & Drug Addiction
Organized Retail Crime and Drug Addiction: Understanding the Connection

By the D&D Daily staff

Organized retail crime (ORC) has emerged as a growing concern for law enforcement and retailers across the United States, with annual losses estimated in the tens of billions of dollars. While the phenomenon is multifaceted, one contributing factor gaining increased attention is its link to drug addiction.

Unlike opportunistic shoplifting, ORC typically involves coordinated groups who steal large volumes of merchandise, often with the intent to resell it through online marketplaces, street vendors, or informal networks. The profits are then used to fund various activities—including, in many cases, substance abuse.

Law enforcement officials and addiction specialists note that many low-level participants in ORC operations are individuals struggling with addiction. These individuals are often recruited by more organized criminal enterprises to carry out thefts in exchange for cash or drugs. Because those with substance use disorders may face limited employment opportunities and financial instability, engaging in theft can be seen as a quick way to secure money to feed an addiction.

A 2022 report by the National Retail Federation cited that 70% of retailers believe ORC-related theft has increased in severity and frequency, with many noting that stolen goods are being exchanged for narcotics in cities heavily impacted by the opioid crisis. Additionally, states dealing with high rates of fentanyl and methamphetamine use—such as California, Ohio, and Oregon—have reported corresponding increases in retail crime.

Experts caution that while drug addiction is not the sole cause of ORC, it is a significant driver behind the involvement of repeat offenders. Retail security professionals also report that some individuals cycle through the criminal justice system due to untreated addiction, reoffending shortly after release.

In response, some jurisdictions are experimenting with diversion programs that offer treatment instead of incarceration for nonviolent retail offenders. Proponents argue that addressing the root cause—addiction—can help reduce recidivism and the strain on both retailers and the legal system.

At the same time, retailers are investing in new technology, such as surveillance systems, facial recognition, and electronic product tracking, to combat the rise in theft. But many acknowledge that prevention efforts must also include social services and partnerships with public health agencies to address the underlying addiction issues contributing to the crime.

As the national conversation around ORC continues, the connection to drug addiction remains a critical piece of the puzzle, requiring both enforcement and rehabilitation approaches to make meaningful progress.


New York's Gang Database Being Used By the Feds
The New York State Police Are Feeding ICE a Gang Database

For 20 years, the state police have been quietly building a database of suspected gang members—and they’re feeding it to Donald Trump’s administration.

As President Donald Trump’s administration rounds up hundreds of immigrants it claims are gang members and expels them to a notorious Salvadoran prison, New York State is quietly feeding federal authorities gang intelligence that could fuel the deportation machine.

The New York State Police maintain a database of more than 5,100 people they’ve designated as members of criminal gangs—and funnel the information into a federal database used by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a New York Focus investigation has found.

The statewide gang database has been in operation for 20 years, though it has garnered almost no outside attention or scrutiny. State Police staff designate people as gang members—including people who may never have been charged with a crime—using highly speculative criteria like where they spend their time, whom they talk to, what clothing they wear, and what tattoos they have.

Any law enforcement agency in the state can submit entries to the database, a State Police spokesperson said. As officers and analysts add names, State Police staff also submit them to a federal gang file that feeds directly into ICE’s main case management tool.

The statewide gang database currently contains 225 alleged criminal gangs, the spokesperson said. It has not been audited by an outside entity. thenation.com


From Shoplifting Incident to Mass Casualty Event
Shoplifter's arrest foils potential "mass casualty event" in Minnesota, charges say
Authorities say they believe a southern Minnesota man accused of theft and online threats may have been planning a "mass casualty event." Mohamed Adan Mohamed, 24, of St. Peter, faces felony charges of theft and threats of violence following his arrest after a shoplifting incident last week at the Scheels store in Mankato.

Mohamed allegedly told people on the sales floor that he had an "AR style rifle that was calibrated to 9mm" before fleeing the store with over $2,150 worth of items.

Security at the store attempted a "citizen's arrest" on Mohamed, but he got into a Toyota Sienna and fled, nearly running over a person in the process, according to the complaint.

Mohamed left a list at the store, which he was looking at while taking items, that said "Survival Gear List with Alternative" at the top, the complaint said. The list included knives, bows and arrows, a sleeping bag, lighters, pepper spray, a "6-mag chest right" and eight magazines. Authorities say Mohamed stole eight magazines. cbsnews.com
 

Combating Organized Retail Crime Act Makes More Headlines
U.S. Senators Reintroduce Legislation to Combat Organized Retail Theft
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and colleagues reintroduced the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act to crack down on flash mob robberies and intricate retail theft schemes, establish a coordinated multi-agency response, and create new tools to tackle evolving trends in organized retail theft.

The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act would:

- Establish an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that combines expertise from state and local law enforcement agencies and retail industry representatives.

- Create new tools to assist in federal investigation and prosecution of organized retail crime and help recapture lost goods and proceeds.  news-journal.com


The Landscape Is Centuries Old. The Crime Is More Modern.
In rural England, increasingly sophisticated farming equipment has become a target for thieves, adding to pressure on farming communities.

Established Organized Crime Syndicates Continue to Age and Decline in Japan
 

'Retail Crime Uncovered': Special Episode #3

In this jam-packed round up of the latest developments in retail crime, Emmeline outlines the key recommendations from the UK House of Lords Inquiry into shoplifting with special guest, Chris Noice from the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS). In Newscast, we learn about the growing trend for targeting luxury food items such as artisan cheese and champagne and exporting it into international markets, as well as the million dollar gift card scams hitting the USA and attracting the attention of Homeland Security. The Country Focus takes in South Africa and RCU guest Andre Jordaan describes the 'war on the highway'.
 

Stream It Here

$16.6B in Cyber Fraud Losses in 2024
BEC scams, investment fraud accounted for biggest cybercrime losses in 2024

Americans lost $16.6 billion to cyber fraud last year, according to an FBI report.

The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) released the 2024 annual internet crime report. The report found that Americans lost $16.6 billion to cyber fraud and internet crimes last year, up 33% from the previous year.

Phishing, spoofing and extortion topped the list of complaints, but investment and business email compromise (BEC) scams cost victims the most money.

The latest IC3 report helps quantify the scale of cyber threats in the United States and serves as a reminder that common internet scams, not exotic zero-day vulnerabilities, cause the most serious harm to Americans on a daily basis.

Investment scams were, by far, the most costly type of internet crime in 2024, easily leading the pack with estimated losses of around $6.6 billion. Interestingly, investment scams were only the fifth most commonly reported type of internet crime, highlighting the disproportionate impact of individual scams. These schemes cost Americans $2 billion more last year than they did the year before, suggesting that they are becoming more profitable for criminals. The relative ease of perpetrating massive cryptocurrency scams could partly explain this increase.

The FBI’s report points to other possible trends in the popularity of certain digital attack and fraud tools — for example, the comparatively low annual losses attributed to botnets ($8.9 million) compared to those attributed to SIM-swapping attacks ($26 million) could indicate a need to refocus law enforcement and private-sector investigative resources accordingly. cybersecuritydive.com


CISOs Call Out World Governments
CISOs band together to urge world governments to harmonize cyber rules

Policymakers have moved slowly to reduce regulatory overlap, but the new industry plea could help change that.

A letter from the CISOs of 45 powerful global companies could provide crucial backing for world governments looking to reduce cybersecurity regulations and their accompanying hassles for businesses.

The CISO letter, sent to members of the Group of Seven nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, urges governments to use those high-level forums to “focus on greater alignment of cybersecurity regulations.”

The signatories — including tech giants, large banks, major hospital chains and influential health-care firms — want to see consistent implementation of existing rules, more collaboration on future rules, faster threat intelligence-sharing and more corporate engagement.

The broad list of the letter’s signatories reflects widespread frustration across industries about the international morass of conflicting and redundant cyber rules, as well as the private sector’s belief that the moment for harmonization has finally arrived. cybersecuritydive.com


Estée Lauder revamps IT leadership with transformation in mind

The global cosmetics company recruited Brian Franz from investment firm State Street to be its first chief technology, data and analytics officer.

The Estée Lauder Companies appointed Brian Franz to its leadership team as chief technology, data and analytics officer Monday. Franz will lead the cosmetic giant’s global IT organization, taking the reins from CIO Michael Smith, who departed earlier this month, the company said in an email Tuesday.

Franz’s purview extends across enterprise data and IT transformation, platform integration, digital experiences and AI adoption, the company said. “By bringing these critical areas together under one leader, we are simplifying our structure, removing operational silos and creating stronger alignment across our data and technology strategies” de La Faverie added in his first external executive leadership appointment announcement since rising to CEO in October. retaildive.com


Understanding 2024 cyber attack trends

San Francisco, CA: SFPD Arrests Suspect Involved in the Buying and Selling of Stolen Merchandise from San Francisco
In January 2025, San Francisco Police Department investigators assigned to the Burglary Detail discovered evidence of a known fencer, identified as 45-year-old male Ronald Lopez-Rivera from Richmond, CA, providing information on suspected stolen bicycles to another known fencer. A fence is defined as a person who receives stolen goods and resells these items for personal profit. Investigators began surveillance of Lopez-Rivera, continuing to gather evidence of criminal acts. In March 2025, investigators observed Lopez-Rivera selling stolen items such as medication, health products, construction tools, and bicycles from known retail establishments. On April 18th, 2025, officers continued surveillance of Lopez-Rivera in the area of 8th and Folsom Streets, where Lopez-Rivera was seen placing a suspected stolen bicycle in a vehicle and then transporting the merchandise to the area of Leavenworth and McAllister Streets. On this date, officers developed probable cause to arrest Lopez-Rivera. Officers conducted a search of Lopez-Rivera’s vehicle which revealed two confirmed stolen bicycles that were reported stolen from residential burglaries earlier that day in San Francisco. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Lopez-Rivera’s residence and storage units located in Richmond, CA. Members of the SFPD Burglary Detail, Defend Against Retail Theft (DART), and San Francisco District Attorney Investigators (SFDAI) conducted the search, which revealed additional stolen property from San Francisco that was seized as evidence. Lopez-Rivera was booked into San Francisco County Jail for the possession of stolen property (496(a) PC).  sanfranciscopolice.org


Raleigh, NC: NC woman faces 20 charges from Bath & Body Works thefts
A woman was arrested Tuesday for multiple felonies stemming from an investigation of multiple retail thefts throughout the month of November last year, according to court records. Jynecia Serinaty Arrington, 25, of Greenville was arrested in Pitt County Tuesday, according to multiple arrest warrants. They stated she committed larceny three times at two Bath & Body Works locations in Raleigh — one at Brier Creek Commons and one at the Pleasant Valley Promenade on Glenwood Avenue. The estimated total of items stolen in the three reported thefts was just over $13,470.  cbs17.com


Thousand Oaks, CA: Pro shop burglarized at North Ranch County Club
Authorities are investigating a burglary at the pro shop of the North Ranch Country Club in Thousand Oaks on April 24. The incident was reported around 6:35 a.m. at the country club at 4761 Valley Spring Drive in the Westlake Village area, said Ventura County Sheriff's Capt. John Hajducko. The sheriff's office is contracted for police services in Thousand Oaks. The call indicated the burglary had just occurred. Responding deputies determined two male suspects had smashed the doors of the pro shop, the captain said. The suspects took mostly golf clubs, Hajducko said.  vcstar.com


Hollister, CA: Police investigating $5000 NAPA auto parts burglary

Horry County, SC: Police searching for teens accused of stealing $2500 of items from South Strand flea market

Columbus, GA: Opelika Police searching for suspects who stole $600 worth of merchandise