Secret Service task force raids central Ohio businesses - $2M in skimming, tax fraud, identity theft  A Secret Service task force raided a number of central Ohio businesses this week as part of an investigation into skimming, money laundering, tax fraud and identity theft. Agents arrested five people accused of operating an organized crime. The group stole about $2 million through skimming, tax fraud and identity theft, agents said. Schuck confirmed that investigators removed ATM and lottery machines from some of the businesses during the raids. The task force, which includes local law enforcement and state and federal agencies, investigates financial and electronic crimes. "The dismantling of this criminal operation demonstrates the exceptional capabilities of our task force partnerships," said Mark Porter, Secret Service special agent in charge. dispatch.com

New York Jewelry Store Owner Pleaded Guilty for Purchasing and Reselling Jewelry Stolen in Armed Robberies  A New York jeweler pleaded guilty in federal court in Atlanta Tuesday to two counts of interstate transportation of stolen property in connection with jewelry he purchased from an armed robbery ring and then sold in New York. Carlos Parra, 64, a resident of New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones of the Northern District of Georgia. Parra admitted in court that he was contacted by a member of an armed robbery crew that stole over $100,000 in jewelry from a courier on Jan. 31, 2013. Parra flew from New York, where his jewelry business was based, to Atlanta to purchase the jewelry from the robbery crew for approximately $16,000. Parra admitted that he had dealt with these robbers or their associates in the past and knew the jewelry was stolen. Parra further admitted to purchasing jewelry from a robbery crew in Houston in August 2012. In that instance, the robbery crew stole over $500,000 from a jewelry courier during an armed robbery on Aug. 27, 2012. Parra admitted that he flew to Texas to purchase the stolen jewelry at a discounted rate because it was stolen. He later sold the jewelry in New York to wholesalers for a profit. fbi.gov

NY man charged with fraud in Mansfield - suspected of being part of larger fraud ring  A New York man was arraigned Wednesday in a Mansfield fraud case, but authorities allege he is connected to a larger fraud ring responsible for illegally obtaining $20,000 in cell phones and electronics. Kodio A. Kondon, 28, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., was ordered held in jail on $10,000 cash bail after pleading innocent to related charges in Attleboro District Court. Kondon was arrested around 3 p.m. Tuesday after workers at the Sprint store called police about a man suspected in fraud cases at other Sprint stores. Stewart was arrested around 7:30 p.m. after running out of Best Buy at the same mall, where police say he allegedly attempted to purchase a $1,700 Mac Book Pro lap top using a phony credit card and a fraudulent Ohio driver's license, according to police. Mansfield detectives obtained two search warrants this afternoon for Stewart's belongings and a car he rented which was found parked outside the Best Buy store. Inside the car, police recovered around $8,000 in alleged stolen merchandise, Assistant District Attorney Noah Ertel said during a bail hearing. When police checked his rented car, they found five cell phones worth $3,500 still in their packages from Verizon and T-Mobile stores without any sales receipts, according to police. thesunchronicle.com

Pleasant Prairie, WI man charged in two dozen retail thefts across three states
A man suspected in two dozen retail thefts in three states was arrested Friday in Pleasant Prairie. William C. Maysack, 30, of Pleasant Prairie, is charged with two counts of retail theft and one of possession of drug paraphernalia for a series of incidents in the village last month. Two other men are named in the complaints, but have not yet been charged. Maysack and his partner had been shoplifting in the Lake County, Illinois area, using an electronic security wand to remove sensors from electronic items and taking Motorola smart watches and Beats Pill speaker systems. Pleasant Prairie staff checked their electronics area and found one of each of those items missing, according to a criminal complaint. Security footage allowed them to identify two men who came in and took the items, removed the security sensors and the left the store. Maysack's probation agent told Pleasant Prairie police that the two men were suspected in a string of retail thefts in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. kenoshanews.com

Man pleads guilty for role in tri-state area multi-million dollar theft ring  One of more than a dozen people involved with a retail theft ring pleads guilty. Robert Savage pleaded guilty to one charge of corrupt business influence, a felony. Savage was one of the defendants involved in the Dealmakers case. In early August 2014, the FBI raided the Dealmaker's locations in Henderson and Newburgh along with an iPhone repair store on Washington Avenue. Detectives believe the theft ring's kingpins, Kyle Hudson and Michael Rupert, would have people steal goods from local stores and sell those goods on eBay. They're both expected to make their next court appearance later this month. tristatehomepage.com

Burglars take more than $100,000 in designer glasses from Lakeland Sunglass Hut

Two men arrested on organized retail theft charges in Overton, TX

Man steals $500 of vodka from Mount Prospect, IL Jewel-Osco Food Store