3 member ORC gang hitting Home Depots in Nassau County for gift card scam busted for $28,800  According to Detectives, an investigation from September 4, 2013 to January 22, 2014 revealed a debit/gift card scam involving various Home Depot Stores throughout Nassau County. The defendants would steal various items and then return the items to receive debit/gift cards in the amount of the return price. The defendants were then able to sell the cards to a Pawn shop and receive cash. The proceeds from the various Home Depot stores was approximately 37 cards totaling approximately $28,800. On January 22, 2014 at approximately 5:00pm Detectives observed the three defendants carry out the larceny, sell the gift cards and then proceed to buy a substance believed to be heroin. At 6:00pm Detectives arrested all three defendants in front of 976 Hempstead Turnpike in Uniondale. (Source longisland.com)

TV ORC thief busted hitting Walmart store multiple times selling them on Craigslist in Genessee County  A man was arrested for retail fraud and organized retail crime after admitting to stealing electronics from the Hartland Walmart, according to a report from the Livingston County Sheriff's Department. After questioning the suspect at his Owosso Township home, police said, the man admitted to stealing the additional electronics using the receipts to look as though he had paid for them. The suspect then told police he would return one television set to the store and would then sell the additional TV on Craigslist. (Source brighton.patch.com)

Glendale, Calif., Skimming gang member indicted in Boise for multi-state skimming  
A federal grand jury meeting in Boise last month indicted Vachik Babayan, who resides outside Glendale, Calif., on charges connected to the Caldwell gas station skimming operation. He also is accused of being part of a group that used skimmers to steal credit card information last year in Glendale, Calif., and make counterfeit credit cards. The false cards were used to purchase large amounts of gasoline, which was then sold for half-price, according to the Glendale Police Department. (Source idahostatesman.com)

ORC gang of 4 men hit Aeropostale at North Star Mall in San Antonio - Police offer reward  Detectives say a manager at the Aeropostale store contacted police on April 12, 2013 after noticing a large amount of merchandise disappearing from the store. Video surveillance was set up and captured images of the group entering the store on April 15th and making off with a large trash bin full of clothing. SAN ANTONIO -- Police say four men stole merchandise from a store at North Star Mall. They've identified three of the men, but need your help to track down the fourth suspect. CRIME STOPPERS will pay up to $5,000 for information which leads to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for the Aeropostale Burglary. (Source news4sanantonio.com)

Five Men Sentenced in NC and SC Cigarette Smuggling Operation  Five men are headed to federal prison over their roles in what authorities say was a $20 million cigarette smuggling operation based in the Carolinas. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Frank Whitney in Charlotte handed down sentences Wednesday ranging from 14 months to 18 years in prison. The men were convicted last year of conspiring to sell 486,000 cartons of what they believed to be stolen cigarettes at retail outlets across North Carolina and South Carolina. Sentenced on Wednesday were Tha'er Ismail Ayyad of Kernersville, Ziad Hashem Najjar of Greensboro, Ahmed Samy Hosney Kareem of Matthews, and Kamal Zaki Qazah and Ahmed Ibrahim of Columbia, S.C. Six others involved in the ring were previously sentenced to prison terms and probation. Another man should appear in court next week. (Source jdnews.com)