Ex-Phoenix Suns player pleads guilty to theft
Former Phoenix Suns forward Richard Dumas has pleaded guilty to two counts of theft after being accused of stealing merchandise from an exchange store. Maricopa County prosecutors say 45-year-old Dumas entered his plea Thursday. He's scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 20. Authorities say Dumas stole about $800 worth of merchandise from the Luke Air Force Base's exchange store while working with a janitorial service in 2012. They say Dumas was seen on surveillance cameras taking cigarettes, alcohol, food, DVDs and shoes. Dumas originally pleaded not guilty to eight felony charges of organized retail theft. He later reached a plea agreement. Dumas played for the Suns from 1992 to 1995 and helped the team reach the NBA Finals in 1993. He was waived by the team after missing a drug test. usatoday.com

Police say man stole 24 tablets from Raleigh Target store in one week
In one week, police charged, a man was able to take 24 tablet computers from a Target store in order to sell them for $50 apiece. After officers arrested Jeremy Michael Rollins, 28, of 425 Orange St. in Henderson on Thursday evening at the store at 7900 Old Wake Forest Road, they charged him with organized retail theft and larceny by defeating anti-theft devices as well as misdemeanor larceny and possession of stolen property. Rollins told them, police said in an arrest warrant, that over the course of seven days he had taken 19 8-inch RCA tablets and five nabi-brand children’s tablets, with the collection valued at almost $3,200. The computers, police said, were being sold to a business in Henderson that would pay Rollins $50 each. They did not identify the business. Rollins was held in lieu of $12,000 bail for a Friday court appearance. newsobserver.com

Thieves use Blow Torch to snatch iPads from Torrington, CT Target
The search is on for whoever used a blow torch to steal iPads from a Target store in Torrington. Police said they responded to an alarm at the East Main Street store on Wednesday around 4:30 a.m. They said they found that a rear overhead door was cut with a torch, which was recovered at the scene along with some merchandise. A number of iPads were taken from the store. Police said they did not have a dollar amount of how much they are worth. Detectives said they are working with Target security to identify the suspects. They suspects fled in a dark-colored, four-door sedan. wfsb.com

Milton-Freewater, OR man accused of a multiple of thefts totaling over $7,200 from Walmart  An Oregon man is facing a felony charge for a series of thefts from the College Place Walmart last summer. David Jesse Goertzen, Jr. made his first appearance today in Walla Walla Superior Court for first-degree organized retail theft. Bail was set at $20,000 with a condition that he waive extradition from Oregon before his release if he posts bond. According to a probable cause statement filed by College Place Police Det. Roger Maidment, Goertzen is alleged to have taken more than $7,200 worth of merchandise from the store on eight occasions between June 9 and Aug. 25. Goertzen was arrested by Milton-Freewater Police on Dec. 4 for investigation of third-degree robbery and third-degree theft. He was being held in Umatilla County Jail when he was served with a warrant for his arrest on the charge filed against him in Walla Walla County. union-bulletin.com

Quincy, IL Woman arrested twice in same day for shoplifting
Quincy police say they arrested the same woman twice Wednesday for shoplifting from two different stores. Police say Kathleen Carter, 53, of Milton, Illinois, was stopped by Walmart Loss Prevention around 11:30 a.m. because she tried to walk out of the store with $800 of unpaid merchandise in her cart. Carter was arrested and charged with Felony Retail Theft Over $300 and was released on a Notice to Appear bond. Police then took Carter back to Walmart to get her car. Carter was arrested again after police say she tried to steal about $70 worth of merchandise from Kmart just before 4 p.m. the same day. She was charged with Retail Theft Under $300. Carter was processed and released after posting bond. wgem.com

SoCal Mail Thefts Linked to Organized Crime
U.S. postal inspectors are warning people around Southern California about an increase in mail thefts this holiday season. They've seen a spike in thefts in Studio City, Toluca Lake, Hollywood and Long Beach. In some cases, the thieves are likely linked to organized crime, authorities say. "Organizations that are doing it now are those old gangs that have been around for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years," said an inspector, who requested anonymity because of ongoing undercover investigations. "They've just found a new way to make money." nbclosangeles.com