Update - Fencing Operation - Court papers show extent of Overland Park's largest ORC bust of female - over $100,000 recovered  With a fencing operation set up in her home police recovered over $100,000 of merchandise and say that she approached shoplifting like it was her full time job - career. They haven't been able to identify anyone that may have been working with her or anyone who has purchased merchandise from her. But police found racks and piles of clothes with price tickets still attached. Bauer, 45, is accused of shoplifting merchandise from stores like Coach, J. Crew, Banana Republic, Eddie Bauer, Ann Taylor Loft and locally-owned boutiques. Prosecutors said she would sell the items online. Police say the investigation is ongoing and also said this is the largest ORC case they've seen in their city. Investigators said they're still sifting through more than 85 boxes of items found during a search of Bauer's home. kmbc.com

Credit card fraudster who hit Safeway stores up and down North Coast for over $130,000 gets 9 years in prison  A Rohnert Park man who racked up $130,000 in damages during a yearlong credit card fraud spree in which he rented an exotic sports car and two high-end vacation homes was sentenced Thursday to more than nine years in jail. Mohannad Halaweh, 20, also used fake credit cards that he manufactured to buy thounds of dollars worth of gift cards from Safeway stores up and down the North Coast, police said. He was arrested in June while driving the $240,000 McLaren sports car that had been reported stolen a day earlier from a South Bay rental agency. Halaweh is expected to be sentenced later this year in a separate Alameda County case. Prosecutors initially charged him with 54 criminal counts but he pleaded no contest earlier this year to 15 crimes including identity theft, commerical burglary and grand theft. pressdemocrat.com

Court backs Felony Lane Gang leader's federal prison term for $1M multi-state crime spree  An appeals court panel has upheld the federal prison sentence for the leader of the so-called "Felony Lane Gang" that investigators said stole more than $1 million in a theft spree targeting state park patrons from Florida to Pennsylvania. The ruling the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued this week turned aside Travis J. Russ' claim that his 188-month jail term is too harsh. U.S. Middle District Senior Judge William W. Caldwell slapped Russ, 33, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with that penalty in March 2014. The other nine members of the gang also are serving prison sentences. The conspirators were dubbed the Felony Lane Gang for their practice of passing forged checks stolen from victims at the drive-through lanes of banks. Investigators said that during the crime spree from 2008 to 2012 the gang members broke into cars and stole purses, wallets, check books and identifications. In his plea to the appeals court. Russ argued that Caldwell over-sentenced him because investigators over-estimated the scope of the gang's crimes. pennlive.com

Brooklyn, NY Woman on trial in $3,000 theft from Saratoga Saddlery; tied to $59,000 in other thefts  A Brooklyn woman is expected to stand trial this week for charges relating to a theft of nearly $3,000 in merchandize from a Broadway boutique. Tracy Adams, 50, was arrested in December by city police on a warrant out of Saratoga County Court and extradited back to New York from Massachusetts on a third-degree grand larceny charge. The charge stems from an alleged theft of nearly $3,000 in merchandise from the Saratoga Saddlery on Jan. 13, 2014. But the Spa City boutique isn't the only business from which they are accused of making off with pilfered merchandise. They allegedly stole at least $29,000 worth of items from Murray's Furs in Randolph, Mass., just days after the theft in Saratoga Springs. Police said the group was professional in what they do and many businesses could have been unaware of the thefts. They operated under numerous names and identities over the years, police said. A television news report from Rhode Island said they were also caught on security footage at a boutique in East Greenwich and stole over $30,000 in designer handbags. saratogian.com

Two males with booster bags, magnet, and hook for removing sensors, hit King of Prussia Victoria's Secret for $5,885 worth of merchandise  An employee of Victoria's Secret observed two males with booster bags and notified Plaza Security. Security followed the two who were seen with booster bags prior to leaving the area in a silver Honda. Police stopped the vehicle and discovered three large duffle bags filled with clothes, a large magnet and hook for removing sensors. Recovered was $5,885 worth or merchandise. mainlinemedianews.com

UPDATE: Sisters Arrested in multi-state Baby Formula Shoplifting Case in Barboursville, W.Va., Walmart - LP Officer taken to emergency room  Deputies say surveillance video shows the employee stepping in front of the suspects as they were leaving the store with 22 cans of formula and two tote bags concealed in their purses. Investigators say that's when the loss prevention officer was thrown to the ground, hitting her head on the concrete floor. The employee was taken to the emergency room. Vickey Estepp and her sister Jennifer Estepp were arrested Thursday night in Mingo County. They are facing charges in connection with the shoplifting in Cabell County, as well as charges in several other counties. Investigators say the women were moving back and forth between West Virginia and Kentucky. They've been traveling up Corridor G so this may reach into Kanawha County as well. wsaz.com



Allendale couple charged in 15 shopliftings, mostly booze, worth $3,345  Detectives investigating a six-week, late-night string of thefts that began March 4 conferred with loss prevention officers at the store and identified Michael Basile, 26, and 21-year-old Laura Probst as suspects. Investigators set up surveillance and nabbed the pair in the act overnight today, Scherb said. Scherb's officers charged Basile with 15 shoplifting offenses, along with one count of conspiracy and another of drug paraphernalia possession. cliffviewpilot.com



Two West Virginia women arrested for theft from 4 stores in Huntington Mall
A 32-year-old Charleston woman and a 33-year-old Dunbar, West Virginia, woman were arrested April 7 after allegedly stealing $2,093 worth of merchandise from four stores in the Huntington Mall. When police arrived, the Charleston woman attempted to flee, but both were apprehended. Security had witnessed the women placing merchandise in their vehicle. Police found the merchandise, along with $2,440 cash and 2.1 grams of marijuana in the vehicle. Both suspects were arrested and taken to the Western Regional Jail. heralddispatch.com

Four Detroit women busted in $820 theft at Meijer in Allen Park, MI
Four women from Detroit were arrested for retail fraud April 11 after attempting to steal more than $800 worth of merchandise from the Meijer store at Fairlane Green. The women, ages 17; 19; 20 and 35, entered the store around 1:14 p.m. and selected several items from the shelves, according to the police report. They split the items between two shopping carts and walked to the self checkout area where they scanned about $178 worth of items and failed to scan an additional $820 worth of merchandise. thenewsherald.com

Charleston, WV man busted stealing $580 worth of Coach handbags from Huntington Mall Macy's - had 12 outstanding shoplifting warrants

Four males hitting Walmart stores for gaming systems in multiple jurisdictions in Hanover County, VA