Two men charged in theft of large quantity of Rogaine in NYC  Two men from New York City suspected of stealing large quantities of Rogaine from drug stores across the state were arrested Sunday evening while allegedly attempting to steal over-the-counter medicine from the CVS Pharmacy. Bryant Kirkman, 33, and Kevin Ballard, 26, both of Brooklyn, NY, were each charged with third-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny, possession of a shoplifting device and organized retail theft. After both men were arrested Sunday evening outside the CVS Pharmacy at 839 E. Main St., police found $2,658 worth of stolen goods in their vehicle, "a bulk of which was Rogaine," said police spokesman Sgt. Darrin McKay. "Once we were in the car, we found out they had been doing this all over the place," McKay said. "A lot of the stuff had original store tags." Police found stolen merchandise from drug stores in Berlin, Bloomfield, Windsor and Manchester, McKay said. Authorities from each town confirmed the items were missing. "We were able to close out a lot of cases," McKay said. An off-duty police officer was shopping at CVS Pharmacy Sunday evening, he said. A security officer at the pharmacy recognized the officer and told him he suspected a man in the store was trying to steal over-the-counter medicines, McKay said. The officer called for back-up and continued following the man, later identified as Ballard. Police later found that Ballard had a shopping bag lined with metal, a device used to conceal stolen items from store security sensors, McKay said. myrecordjournal.com

Employees arrested after stealing more than $6K in Midland, TX  Two employees at a Midland retail store were arrested this month after allegedly stealing more than $6,000 in items and cash linked to fraudulent returns, according to court documents. Nilson Gomez, 21, of Midland was charged Jan. 13 with the state jail felony of theft between $1,500 and $20,000. Marianna F. Maya, 20, of Midland was also charged Jan. 13 with the state jail felony of theft between $1,500 and $20,000. Both Midlanders posted bond and were released from custody last week, according to court documents. The retail store's manager told police Jan. 13 that Gomez and Maya "fraudulently returned items by keeping the receipt from customers, then doing a return without actually returning the item to get the money back," according to their arrest affidavit. mrt.com

Nashua, NH woman accused of stealing from several stores; Woman faces felony theft charge  A Nashua woman has been accused of shoplifting from nearly half a dozen stores over the course of two days. Police were contacted by a Kohl's employee, who caught 60-year-old Denise Doucette walking out of the store with several items. Officers determined she had stolen from four other stores the day before. Authorities said Doucette took more than $1,500 worth of items, so she is facing a felony theft charge. wmur.com


Ex-Phoenix Suns player set to be sentenced in Organized Retail thefts case
Former Phoenix Suns forward Richard Dumas faces sentencing in a case stemming from thefts from a store on a military base. The 45-year-old pleaded guilty Dec. 11 to theft-related charges. He's scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday in Maricopa County Superior Court. Authorities say Dumas stole about $800 worth of merchandise from a Luke Air Force Base 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 1992-1995 and helped Phoenix reach the NBA Finals in 1993. He was waived by the team after missing a drug test. usatoday.com

Investigators worry Houston-area firearms stores being targeted  The ATF is warning Houston-area gun store and pawn shop owners about a rash of burglaries targeting them. "They're happening during the day," said co-owner of Spectre Firearms Mona Gilliam. Guns are money, easily sold on the black market for top dollar. "Anything that has a bullet coming out of it can be sold immediately," said Steve Vargas of Amex Pawn. The ATF's alert is directed at all federal firearms licensed places and clearly points out they are the newest target of thieves, citing a rash of gun burglaries and robberies in the last six months. "When they're not targeting money, they're targeting guns," said Vargas. Last week in Spring, two armed men rushed into a pawn shop and got away with 30 weapons plus cash. abc13.com