New Las Vegas ORC Police Task Force Bust Swap Meet Vendors - Fencing stolen merchandise from ORC thieves  Half a dozen vendors working at the largest outdoor swap meet are facing felony charges after being busted by a law enforcement task force. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department received tips from local retailers that some of what was being sold at the swap meet had been boosted from local stores by organized rings of thieves. The wads of seized money pretty much explains why swap meet vendors would risk selling stolen goods right out in the open. It is immensely profitable. During a Friday night gathering at Broadacres, a few dozen officers, including undercover operatives, swooped into the swap meet to serve search warrants on six of the most egregious offenders. "They knew what they were doing, and it was only a matter of time before they got caught, but they were very surprised we apprehended them on that day," said Metro Sgt. Will Seifert. He is the point man for a multi-agency task force created to go after retail theft rings that have targeted more than 90 percent of local stores. Among the items seized were expensive women's undergarments which still carried the price tags from the stores where they were stolen. The task force is just getting started, but already sees how big the problem is. "An operation coming up on six months now, as a full-time team. In that time, we have arrested over 100 people for this, and they were responsible for about $400,000 in the valley, conservatively," Seifert said. "Five of the six are what they call long-term vendors, which means they didn't just buy a space that week," Seifert said. The ones busted in the recent raid are not newcomers. (Source 8newsnow.com)

ORC thief gets 30 days in jail and 3 years probation in Door County, Wis. for one case and 6 months in jail for another case  Danielle N. Maley, 21, was part of a group who was hitting Target stores for DVD's and selling them at local pawn shops. She also had been busted in April hitting Kohl's as well. The thefts were repeated and large enough in losses to be reported to the Door County Sheriff’s Department, which obtained a search warrant and found about 20 DVDs she had taken earlier from Target. Other items were traced to Green Bay pawn shops. Several items taken while shopping with other suspects, including her mother, Angela Kostoff, were also found, which resulted in Maley being charged as party to a crime. Kostoff was also found guilty in both Door and Brown counties of misdemeanor retail theft. She was also was found guilty of retail theft from stealing from a Walmart Store in Green Bay in Brown County Sept. 17 for taking things May 28. Her two years probation in that case includes an order to have no contact with any store without notification in writing to store office that she has a conviction for retail theft. She was given six months in jail in that case. (Source doorcountyadvocate.com)

ORC gang of five women who hit James City, Va., Premium Outlets - 103 charges dropped - investigation ongoing - Part of a bigger operation?  A total of 103 shoplifting charges against five women were all dropped Tuesday in General District Court, but that doesn't mean the case is over. In all the women were accused of stealing $7,000 in merchandise. The Judge said that while all the charges may not go to Circuit Court, many may be brought back on direct indictment. On June 9 at about 6 p.m. James City Police were called to Premium Outlets because an employee at the Coach outlet reportedly witnessed the women putting merchandise into shopping bags, according to police. The women were detained and eventually arrested. Maj. Stephen Rubino with James City County Police said at the time of arrest it's believed the women worked in teams to draw attention away from an single individual's activity. He explained that they alleged used wire snips to take sensors off merchandise and had reportedly lined shopping bags with aluminum foil and duct tape in an effort not to trigger store alarms. Merchandise was stolen from Gap, Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, Coach, Children's Place, Levi's, Eddie Bauer, J. Crew, Ann Taylor, White House/Black Market and Banana Republic, according to Rubino. All items were recovered and returned to the stores. Josh Deford, assistant commonwealth attorney, wouldn't specify why all charges were being dropped although he did say the investigation is ongoing. Part of a bigger operation? (Source vagazette.com)

ORC electronics gang of three busted hitting Wal-Mart stores throughout North Carolina for over $150,000  The three hit one store in Wake Forest for $10,000 in electronics in one day in July. They've charged one male suspect, James Branch in Henderson, who worked with a woman and "persons unknown" to take computers and cell phones. In all, he is accused of: six counts of felony larceny; two counts of attempted felony larceny; three counts of conspiracy to commit felony larceny; one count of aiding or abetting felony larceny; four counts of failure to appear; five bond-related violations; one count of larceny involving an anti-theft device; one count of shoplifting; and two charges of being a habitual felon. Police and sheriff’s deputies estimate Branch may have taken more than $150,000 from Walmart stores across the state. The investigation is ongoing. (Source newsobserver.com)

Pair charged with felony theft from Kingsport Town Center
Two people rolled out a shopping cart loaded with $1,500 worth of merchandise they did not purchase from Sears in the Kingsport Town Center. The pair also face theft charges in Bristol, Tenn., where they're accused of recently stealing a 46-inch television from Kmart. Shortly before 7 p.m. Monday, Police were called to the Kingsport Town Center by Sears Loss Prevention associates after detaining two individuals in the parking lot. The two suspects packed a shopping cart with a vacuum, power tools and other miscellaneous merchandise then pushed the cart out of the store without paying. Police say they also located $280 in stolen jewelry inside Alicia McCoy's purse. A report on the incident lists the total value of the stolen items as $1,513.16. (Source timesnews.net)