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2011 Archives


Phoenix is in the Top 10 cities for ORC and costs the state $32 million in tax revenue a year according to Michelle Ahlmer with the Arizona Retailers Association.  She said, "It's not a game. This is a crime."  Statewide, stores lose about $325 million a year.  "These are very structured criminal enterprises that are involved in the international and interstate trafficking of stolen property," FBI Special Agent Eric Ives said.  Every type of store has fallen victim to this booming industry and every state has suffered the effects.  Maricopa County officials arrested and prosecuted a record number of thieves over the past six months.  A taskforce made up of local law enforcement, FBI, and Secret Service worked with retailers to stop thieves in "Operation Orange Crush."  "This would be one of the biggest ones I believe that the Maricopa County Attorney's Office has handled as far as a criminal syndicate focusing on organized retail theft," said Maricopa County Prosecutor Joe Waters.  The ring consisted of 36 people who targeted Home Depot, Wal-Mart and Lowes and the ring leader just started a 10-year prison sentence.  (Source abc15.com)



                               
Submitted by Jerry Biggs, Director
                                Organized Retail Crime Division, Walgreens




OFFICE OF THE STATE'S ATTORNEY
COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS
ANITA ALVAREZ, STATE'S ATTORNEY
CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS BUREAU
2650 SOUTH CALIFORNIA AVENUE
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60608

TO ALL CCROC MEMBERS AND THOSE INTERESTED IN THE INVESTIGATION OF FINANCIAL CRIMES - NEW FINANCIAL MAPPING PATTERN.

In December of 2010 the Cook County State's Attorney's Regional Organized Crime Task Force (CCROC) in partnership with law enforcement and private corporations launched CookCountyRoc.org. A secured website database that provides for real time reporting and email alerts. This mapping pattern was geared toward organized retail crime. Since that time we now have over 700 members who receive email alerts and investigate these cases, these members represent over 130 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies as well as over 90 private corporations. CCROC has identified and disseminated hundreds of leads that have led to numerous arrests and subsequent successful prosecutions. The contacts and working groups of the task force have allowed jurisdictions to work together. Investigations in the past that had been unworkable because of resources or jurisdictions are now not only possible but successful. For example, CCROC led an investigation that brought down a fencing operation that seized over 6.5 million dollars in cash and property. We have also had similar successes on the financial side, for example, in one case an individual had written hundreds of fraudulently created checks from banks to multiple retailers in numerous jurisdictions that would have only been charged with one count of forgery if not for the coordination with CCROC.

Upon review of this past year's success we look to improve the model that we have. In coordination with experts from law enforcement and financial institutions we have created a mapping pattern specifically for financial crimes. This will create all the connections, identifications and successes we have found on the organized retail crime side. As many of these criminal enterprises are involved in organized retail crime and financial crimes, it is the next logical step. All of our partners will have access to both sides of the map, as our private partners may classify a financial or retail crime and input it on the side which makes most sense. This is a user friendly system and will allow you to flip from map to map. Simply find the classification that best fits the crime, input it into the system and let the task force assist in making identification and find contacts working parallel investigations.

All entities from all jurisdictions are invited to join. As this is a crime that affects all areas beyond Cook County we encourage members from all over the Mid-West to join and be a part of this effort. Only working together with partnerships between law enforcement and private corporations can we be as efficient and effective as we can be. We encourage you to become a member and start working these cases today. If you are interested in becoming part of CCROC's financial crimes board please let me know. The website is free to all members. Go to www.cookcountyroc.org to join. If you are already a member of CCROC you have already been granted automatic access. If you have any questions you can call me at (773) 674-3126. I look forward to working with all of you in the future.

Sincerely,
David Williams
David.Williams@CookCountyIL.gov

 

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