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Skyrocketing numbers of ORC cases since
mid-November
In the last few weeks the Daily has highlighted the efforts of major ORC
Operations in Florida and Arizona; 'Operation Holiday Heist' in Polk County,
Florida, 'Operation Holiday Steals' in Broward County, Florida and 'Operation
Fade to Black' in Meza, Arizona teamed Retailers and Law Enforcement together to
record 159 arrests. While these high profile operations send a strong message to
the communities, they also build the teamwork efforts between retailers and law
enforcement, and identify ORC groups and fencing operations, but we at the Daily
wanted to take a minute to compile the numbers from the rest of the country.
Since mid- November, 57 cases of Organized Retail Crime have been reported in 29
states, 123 arrests and a total of $3,448,959 was reported recovered. Florida
leads the way with 8 additional ORC cases reported, New York with 5 and Michigan
and Texas at 4. But not every ORC cases happens in the high profile states;
Wisconsin, Ohio, New Hampshire, Idaho, and Utah as well as many others have
reported major cases.
| Florida - 8 |
New Hampshire - 2 |
| New York - 5 |
Utah - 2 |
| Michigan - 4 |
Pennsylvania - 2 |
| Texas - 4 |
Ohio - 2 |
| California - 3 |
Minnesota - 2 |
| Wisconsin - 3 |
Louisiana - 2 |
| Massachusetts - 2 |
Additional cases in 16 other states. |
This message is not to downplay the importance of high profile Operations,
but to focus of ORC skyrocketing numbers across the country. In many companies,
Loss Prevention has been tasked to do more with less and it appears that
Nationwide the bad guys are not always winning the fight.
Gangs Flying Shoplifters Into Britain - People Trafficking - Modern Slavery
According to a report in the Independent, Eastern European victims of people
trafficking are being exploited by criminal gangs to carry out weekends of
high-end shoplifting before being returned home on block-booked budget airline
flights, in a new trend of modern slavery identified by Scotland Yard. UK-based
gang leaders are marshalling groups of up to 20 people brought over from
countries such as Poland and Lithuania on cheap flights to target designer shops
during trips lasting just a few days, detectives said yesterday. The gangs
accept a 20 per cent arrest rate as the cost of a "weekend trafficking"
operation that can secure items worth up to 100,000 pounds that are then taken
out of the country for resale. Suspected thieves who have given statements have
told police that they have been coerced into carrying out crimes out of fear
about what would happen to their families if they refused.
ukcrs.com
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The Black Market for Stolen Baby Formula is Booming
 Organized crime rings are making millions peddling the most innocuous white
powder there is, and the street value is surging. Ubiquitous and with a surging
street value, infant nutritional supplements remain one of the most shoplifted
items in the U.S., fostering a steady stream of organized crime syndicates that
confound law enforcement agencies and retailers
 across the country.
"In the big spectrum of retail crime, infant formula is one of the top items,"
says Joe LaRocca, formerly of the National Retail Federation,
now with RetaiLPartners. "Grocery chains will tell you that formula is targeted so often that in some
cases they have locked it up, moved it behind the cash register, strategically
put it on the floor, and in some cases they put a limited supply on the shelves.
With individual cans going for as much as $10 on the black market, drug addicts
and other low-level thieves stalk the aisles of Walmarts and other retail chains
looking to swipe Enfamil or Similac, which can sell for as much as $100 in
stores. In the last month alone, baby formula bandits have cropped up in
California, Michigan, Texas and New Jersey.
Some of the more enterprising crooks go to great, and even comic, lengths to
turn a tidy profit. One brazen mother-daughter team in
Michigan last month
allegedly filled garbage cans with baby formula inside the stores they targeted,
stealing up to 30 cans at a time. In July,
two men dressed in women's clothing
were busted at a Rite Aid in Glendale, California, after trying to walk out with
their purses full of formula. In July, a Florida sting dubbed "Operation
Got Milk" netted at least 23 arrests and toppled a $2 million
baby formula syndicate led by a middle-aged woman. Authorities in
Oregon
stopped a similar scheme in 2010 when they arrested a couple
that had traveled up and down the West Coast stealing $2.5 million
in baby formula. In recent years, raids in California, Texas and
Arizona have disbanded other lucrative rings.
vocativ.com |
Update - Online ad for Canada Goose jackets leads police to parka theft suspects
arrest in Winnipeg - Actual Smash & Grab posted on Daily An online ad
offering Canada Goose jackets for sale and publication of suspect photos have
led to the arrest of four people. More than 40 Canada Goose jackets worth more
than $15,000 were stolen from an outdoor clothing store in the 2000 block of
Corydon Avenue on Nov. 16. Thieves got into the business by smashing the front
window, police said. A 35-year-old man was arrested after an online ad offering
Canada Goose jackets for sale led police to a business in the 700 block of
Selkirk Avenue where the parkas had been taken. The man was charged with
possession of property obtained by crime. After police made surveillance photos
of two women public on Monday, a 29-year-old woman was arrested and also charged
with possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000. Police then searched
a suite in the 500 block of Young Street at about 2 p.m. Tuesday and charged
another man and woman in connection with the crime. globalnews.ca
ORC Duo arrested for counterfeit credit cards, prescription fraud, skimming,
distribution of drugs, stolen identities - over 100 charges Vincent
Leo, 37, was arraigned in Essex Superior Court on dozens of charges. The schemes
involved fraudulent prescriptions, thousands of oxycodone tablets and numerous
counterfeit credit cards, and compromised more than 50 identities, according to
the AG's office. According to authorities, Leo was involved in a credit card
fraud scheme with Deana Vitale, who used a skimming device at Copper House
Tavern in Waltham to capture customers' credit card information. Vitale then
allegedly gave the device to Leo, who used the information to create fraudulent
credit cards in those customers' names. "We allege that this defendant ran
various sophisticated schemes involving fake prescriptions, the distribution of
drugs, stolen identities and counterfeit credit cards," Attorney General Martha
Coakley said in a statement. "This lengthy and extensive investigation has led
to more than 100 charges in connection with his illegal activities."
wickedlocal.com
ORC male duo arrested targeting major retailers throughout Florida with
counterfeit checks The two men had extensive criminal histories and
had amassed more than 45 arrests with 107 criminal charges between the two of
them; mostly for fraud and identity theft related crimes. The suspects also
indicated that they had intended on shopping in Lee County. A search of the
vehicle revealed a large amount of counterfeit checks containing the banking
information of unsuspecting victims. These checks were made by the suspects with
legitimate bank routing numbers belonging to victims of identity theft. The
suspects both had fraudulent driver's licenses matching the names on the checks.
The licenses had their photographs on them. The suspects had failed to mention
that they were planning on shopping using other people's banking information
when they were stopped. In total, 21 counterfeit checks were recovered saving
local retailers tens of thousands of dollars in losses as well as the victims
whose account numbers were used. The investigation revealed that the suspects
were operating throughout Florida targeting major retail establishments. The
investigation revealed the driver, Terrance Haines of Bradenton, and passenger
Dontrell Warren of Tampa were traveling from the Tampa to Fort Myers when they
were stopped.
nbc2.com
ORC Duo arrested hitting Sam's Club multiple times in Panama City, FL
29 year old, Anthony Keith Council, 33 year old, Javier Vargas Vazquez and 33
year old, Jessica L. Garrett, all of Panama City, were arrested for hitting
Sam's Club on two days and charged with felony retail theft, possession of
stolen property, and another separate burglary.
mypanhandle.com
Possible theft ring hits Ada, OK Walmart
Authorities are investigating the theft of nearly a dozen Apple iPads from a
local department store Ada police were called to Wal-Mart in Ada Wednesday
morning. The Loss Prevention officer "stated two males used keys to enter a
locked case in electronics, while two other males kept other associates busy who
came near the area." "He stated there have been numerous reports of the same
thing happening in more Wal-Mart stores around the state of Oklahoma," Reid said
theadanews.com
 Surveillance
cameras capture ORC trio stealing thousands of dollars in designer frames from
Suburban Opticians in University Place, Wash. "Organized shoplifting really does seem to be on the rise,"
said Pierce County Sheriff's Detective Ed Troyer. "People coming in groups and
teams and distracting people or shoplifting all at the same time and getting in
and out before anybody realizes what's happened." Surveillance cameras caught
the three coming in and gave investigators a good look at their faces. After seven minutes, the team walked out with at least half a dozen
frames priced as high as $500 each. Investigators say the items will probably be
sold online to unsuspecting shoppers looking for a bargain.
kirotv.com
ORC female duo hit Macy's CityPlace in West Palm
Beach for $2,600 in Michael Kors purses
$10K in drones stolen during store burglary in Las
Vegas
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