Organized shoplifting rings on the rise in Beaumont, TX.  Police say the lone shoplifter is always a problem, but organized rings are a growing concern. Monday night, Beaumont Police arrested four women who worked together to steal from a store near Parkdale Mall. Sergeant Burt Moore says two of the women shoplifted, while the other two were in the getaway car. Workers at the store saw the women shoplifting, and called the police, who arrested the women in the parking lot. Sergeant Moore says organized theft rings are on the rise. "Over the last few years we've seen an increase in theft rings where there's multiple suspects going into retailers, and working in conjunction with each other, communicating via cell phones," said Moore, "and then going from retailer to retailer, a lot of times several times during a day." (Source kfdm.com)

Police seek links between $648,000 Seattle, $100,000 San Francisco wine thefts
Seattle police detectives investigating the Thanksgiving Day theft of $648,000 worth of high-end wine have contacted police in San Francisco about the theft from a wine warehouse in that city in March to see if the two cases are potentially connected, said a spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department. Samuel Harris, 34, and Luke Thesing, 35, have been charged in King County Superior Court in connection with the elaborate theft at Esquin Wine Merchants in Sodo on Nov. 28. A shipping label found in a storage locker Harris rented at Esquin led Seattle police to a San Francisco wine consultant, who said he purchased $100,000 worth of wine from Harris and another man earlier this year, according to charging documents. According to a news report about the San Francisco theft by television station KTVU, the suspect or suspects stole 80 bottles of wine – which is just shy of seven cases — with a combined value of more than $100,000. The theft occurred at the renowned Fine Wines International. (Source seattletimes.com)

$2 Million Dollars in Counterfeit Credit Card Purchases Scam Sees 23 In Manhattan Federal Court  New York Office of the United States Secret Service, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment and a Complaint charging 23 individuals for their alleged participation in a large-scale counterfeit credit card scheme. As part of the scheme, the defendants allegedly obtained more than 1,000 stolen credit and debit card numbers, created counterfeit credit and debit cards with the stolen account information, and then utilized teams of “shoppers” to make more than $2 million of unauthorized purchases at retail stores located throughout the United States. In a coordinated operation early this morning, agents of the Secret Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested 19 defendants in Flushing, Queens, and one defendant in Los Angeles, California. Agents also executed six search warrants and recovered counterfeit credit card manufacturing equipment and supplies. (Source lawfuel.com)

Scottsdale, AZ Police arrest two in baby formula theft ring
Scottsdale police say they have arrested two people in a series of shoplifting incidents involving baby formula stolen from multiple Albertsons’, Fry’s, and Safeway grocery stores over the last seven months. The product was being sold on Craigslist, the pair shoplifted from May 9 to Nov. 6 and admitted to using the proceeds of their illegal sales to support a drug habit. (Source azcentral.com)

Man suspected of $22,000 in thefts from Academy Sports stores across Alabama  William Earl Barnes III, 40, was arrested Nov. 24 for second-degree theft of property. After questioning, Detective Brandon Teague said Barnes admitted to stealing game cameras and other merchandise from Academy stores in Gadsden, Hoover, Prattville, Tuscaloosa, Inverness, Auburn, Huntsville and Decatur. Barnes allegedly stole five cameras from the Gadsden store, but Det. Thompson said he was told by Academy that Barnes was suspected of taking 111 game cameras worth more than $22,000. (Source gadsdentimes.com)