Florida Woman in Theft-Ring Operation Sentenced; 20 Retail cases in 4 States
A 37-year-old Lakeland woman accepted a plea deal after being accused of selling stolen property on Amazon.com for profit. Kristine Lynn Hackett resolved two cases Tuesday by pleading no contest to multiple drug charges, retail theft and dealing in stolen property, and admitted she had violated her probation. She was sentenced to 14 months in prison, and upon her release, she will have to go through two years' community control, followed by three more years of probation. The Organized Retail Crime Unit with the Polk County Sheriff's Office learned Hackett was buying merchandise from "boosters" who were stealing from the Wal-Mart at 5800 U.S. 98 N. and the Target store at 3570 Harden Blvd. in Lakeland, according to reports. On Oct. 3, 2013, detectives executed a search warrant at Hackett's house, and among the stolen items they found a ledger used to track what items were to be stolen, reports state. As a result of this investigation, 20 retail theft cases spanning four stores in three counties in Florida have been solved, reports state. theledger.com

Palisades Park, NJ man sentenced to time served for role in $325 Million counterfeit-goods ring  A federal judge showed leniency toward a Bergen County, NJ man on Thursday, sentencing him to time served after determining that while he made "a series of bad choices," he was not a main player in a $325 million counterfeit goods ring. Dao Feng Shi, of Palisades Park, admitted in a plea deal last year to conspiring or attempting to traffic in counterfeit goods. He said ordered Ugg labels and attempted to stick them on about 300 non-brand-name boots to get rid of surplus merchandise from his shoe and accessory business. That act was unrelated to the large counterfeit operation, said his attorney, Lawrence Welle. Shi was among 29 people charged in 2012 for their alleged involvement in what prosecutors said was one of the largest counterfeit goods smuggling operations prosecuted in the United States. The suspects attempted to import Chinese knock-offs, such as fake Nike shoes and Gucci handbags, through Port Newark-Elizabeth over several years, authorities said. Law enforcement officials arrested suspects in New Jersey, New York, Florida, Texas and the Philippines. northjersey.com

Two Arraigned for Selling Counterfeit Electronics, Including Phony iPhones and iPads; facing 104 years in prison  Two men are scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Orange County on money laundering and conspiracy charges for selling counterfeit electronic goods valued at nearly $3 million, including counterfeit iPhones and iPads, following a probe by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's, Homeland Security Investigations and the Fountain Valley Police Department. Rateb Said Najjar, 60, and his son, Eyad Rateb Najjar, 36, both of Westminster, are each charged with 134 felony counts of money laundering; six felony counts of manufacturing and sale of a counterfeit mark; two felony counts of conspiracy to commit a crime with sentencing enhancements for property damage over $1.3 million; and money laundering in excess of $2.5 million. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 104 years in jail. infozine.com

22 Years Prison for Ringleader of ID Theft Ring in Jefferson Co, CO
Angela Marie Vigil, DOB: 3-14-79, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for her role in an identity theft ring that operated in the metro Denver area between June and November, 2013. Vigil was one of the ringleaders of the identity theft ring and one of nine people indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury in July, 2014. As part of the criminal enterprise, Vigil stole personal and financial information of people and businesses and used the information to create checks and identifications. Using computers and the stolen information she created fraudulent documents including drivers licenses and checks. The fraudulent checks were transacted at businesses and financial institutions. Vigil and others would use the checks to obtain cash, merchandise, personal property, services, gift cards, food, etc. Merchandise and proceeds from forged check transactions were used by members of the group for general expenses and for the purchase and use of methamphetamine. northdenvernews.com

3 in custody for over $1,000 Sioux City Target thefts
Three women shown on camera stealing items from the Sioux City Target store are in custody, police said Thursday. Detective Bill Nice said a woman in her 30s was arrested around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in connection with the theft of goods from Target, 5775 Sunnybrook Ave., totaling more than $1,000. She was charged with felony second-degree theft. Nice said he is not releasing the woman's identity. She bonded out of Woodbury County jail Wednesday evening. Nice said two additional suspects are being interviewed. He said further arrests are "up in the air" as the investigation continues, but all suspects have been identified and located. Authorities on Wednesday released surveillance camera images of the women. The images were posted on social media. Nice said most of the property had been recovered and returned to Target as of Thursday afternoon. siouxcityjournal.com

Kentucky Teens on 'Bonnie and Clyde'-style crime spree  An 18-year-old Kentucky man and his 13-year-old girlfriend who have been missing for 12 days are believed to have taken off on a Bonnie-and-Clyde-style crime spree across the South, authorities said Thursday, during which they're suspected of having stolen at least two vehicles - one of which had guns in it. "It is imperative that these two be located and apprehended as their behavior is becoming increasingly brazen and dangerous," the Grayson County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. The sheriff's office identified the pair as Dalton Hayes, 18, and his girlfriend, Cheyenne Phillips, 13, whom Cheyenne's father reported missing on Jan. 3. They're accused of stealing a neighbor's red Toyota pickup truck, which was spotted on security video nine days later outside a Walmart store in Manning, South Carolina. The couple themselves were captured on video entering the store. They apparently ditched the truck Thursday in Henry County, Georgia, south of Atlanta, and are believed to have stolen a silver Toyota Tundra - which Grayson County Sheriff Norman Chaffins said had .45- and .38-caliber handguns in the back seat. kxan.com


Career Criminal stole 3 computers and 3 Dyson vacuums from Walmart in Rockingham  A Scotland County man is accused of stealing computers and vacuum cleaners from Walmart. Marc Daniel Stutts, 37, of 17040 Lauder St. in Laurel Hill, took three HP all-in-one computers and three Dyson vacuums from the Rockingham store on Sunday, according to an arrest warrant. The merchandise has a combined value of $1,385. Rockingham police arrested Stutts on a charge of felony larceny. He has a lengthy record of criminal convictions on theft and fraud charges. yourdailyjournal.com


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