Muskegon County District Circuit Judge sentences ORC habitual offender
Aaron Bernard Carter, 52, of Muskegon Heights, 15 months to 20 years MDOC for two cases of first-degree retail fraud, habitual offender fourth, $597.98 restitution/fees/costs in one case, $1,146 in the other; 15 months to 25 years MDOC for one case of organized retail crime, habitual offender fourth, $198 fees/costs; 15 months to 25 years MDOC for two other cases of first-degree retail fraud, habitual offender fourth, $537.98 restitution/fees/costs in one case, $477.99 in the other. mlive.com

Aiken, S.C. 4-20 - ORC couple busted in stolen car after hitting Dillard's at Aiken Mall - repeat offenders  Police arrested Marlene Jackson and Morris Morgan in a stolen car after Dillard's advised them the couple had stolen about $900 worth of merchandise. Both subjects were found to have warrants from Tennessee, and the Jeep had been reported stolen from Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia, police said.  aikenstandard.com

Aiken, S.C. 4-23 - police arrest 6 for hitting same Dillard's mentioned above for several Michael Kors purses

Two women sentenced for fraud - Part of fraud ring - opening retail accounts with fake California drivers licenses in Idaho- over $40k loss  According to the plea agreement, Contreras-Loya engaged in a retail scheme between July 2013 and July 2014, whereby she defrauded retail stores by applying for, and obtaining, credit accounts in the identities of unknowing third party victims. Contreras-Loya then used the credit accounts to fraudulently purchase merchandise and gift cards. Contreras-Loya admitted she received, from her co-defendant Arleen Cifuentes, victim identification information and false California driver's licenses in the victims' names, containing Contreras-Loya's photo. Contreras-Loya admitted that she and her co-defendants executed the scheme on at least fifteen occasions in the District of Idaho. Cifuentes and Contreras-Loya were arrested shortly after executing the scheme at the Boise Town Square Mall. One to spend 2 yrs in federal prison and the other got 3 yrs supervised release with restitution of over $40,000. clearwatertribune.com

Cree employees accused of stealing, selling $90K worth of products
Authorities allege a group of Cree Inc. employees set up an eBay store to sell almost $90,000 in unauthorized products from the company. Saturino R. Avila, James A. Barker III and Joshua J. Golden were each charged Monday with conspiracy to commit felony theft-movable property. According to a criminal complaint, company officials discovered more than 400 unauthorized deliveries of Cree products were shipped between July 23 and March 31. Many of those packages were allegedly shipped from Cree's Sturtevant facility, 9201 Washington Ave., to Avila's home. Authorities executing a search warrant at the home Thursday reportedly found two boxes of Cree LED light fixtures in the basement. Boxes were also reportedly delivered to Barker's home. In a statement, Cree, Inc. identified the alleged stolen items as E-conolight, a brand of outdoor and indoor lighting products. journaltimes.com

Fencing Operation: Cook Co, IL State's Attorney's Regional Organized Crime Task Force and the River Forest Police bust ORC Ring  Authorities are charging the owners of a West Side JJ Food Mart with reselling goods they knew were stolen from River Forest and elsewhere. "We served about five or six search warrants on Monday [April 20]," said River Forest Deputy Police Chief James O'Shea. The other warrants were used to search the homes and banking institutions used by Jaber Abu-Elreish and Jamal Qteish. Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez alleges the two men used their business as a front for a multi-tiered criminal enterprise that included the alleged purchase of stolen items for about 15 cents on the dollar and paying $20 for each $40 worth of fake purchases placed onto a Link Card. The arrests came after a three-month investigation that was kicked off when Forest Park police arrested a man for stealing eight tubs of baby formula back in February from a Jewel Foods in River Forest. chicagotribune.com

Text message dooms shoplifting suspect
If you're suspected of shoplifting, you shouldn't let a sheriff's deputy see the text of a cell phone message saying you're busted and just gave the officer a false name. Jessenia Gonzalez, 36, of Clermont, found this out Saturday when she was charged with grand theft and proving a false name to a law enforcement officer. A loss prevention officer at Walmart in Clermont said he saw Gonzalez stuff items in a used Walmart shopping bag and head for the Garden Center exit door before she spotted him and turned. Since Gonzalez had not exited the store, no crime was committed. However, Gonzalez then proceeded to the cosmetics department, where she placed more items into the bag and then walked out the front door of the store without paying for them. Gonzalez was held until a sheriff's deputy arrived on the scene. She identified herself as Elizabeth Jimenez and told the deputy everything was just a big mistake: she had received an urgent call from her family and absentmindedly walked out of the store. The deputy asked to look at the woman's phone and saw the following text message to her boyfriend: "I got caught in Walmart. I told them my name is Elizabeth Jimenez." The deputy said Gonzalez stuck with the false name until he found a prescription medicine bottle in her purse with her real name on it, causing her to drop the charade. The total value of the shoplifted items was $462.26. dailycommercial.com

"75 of the pizzas have been recovered." Men try to sell stolen food to Police
Two Gambell men were arrested for burglary and theft Sunday when they stole 80 pizzas from a store and tried to sell them to the on-duty police, Alaska State Troopers wrote in a dispatch. Troopers in Nome received reports of a burglary at the Gambell Native Store warehouse at around 10:00 a.m. Sunday in the village of Gambell. Investigations revealed that 29-year-old John Koozaata and 21-year-old Lewis Oozeva of Gambell broke into to the warehouse early in the morning and stole five cases of frozen pizzas which amounted to 80 pizzas valued at about $1,100. "Village police officers received their strongest investigative lead when Koozaata and Oozeva called the Gambell Police Department, attempting to sell the pizzas to the on-duty police officers," troopers wrote. Koozaata and Oozeva were arrested and transported to Nome to be arraigned. Both men are being charged with second degree theft and second degree burglary. "75 of the pizzas have been recovered," troopers wrote. ktuu.com

Tampa shoplifting suspect wore 'Won't Be Caught' shirt  Perhaps a woman suspected of shoplifting from a Citrus Park beauty store is getting a little ahead of herself, or is just a bit overconfident. At least based on her attire, as seen on surveillance photos. The photos, taken from a March 15 theft at the Ulta Beauty Supply at The Plaza at Citrus Park in Tampa, show one of two women wearing a black T-shirt with "Won't Be Caught" in large letters written on the front. Hillsborough County deputies say the women entered the store around 3:45 p.m. and stole $1,478 in cologne and perfume before driving away in a newer-model bright blue Hyundai. The suspect wearing the "Won't Be Caught" T-shirt is described as a black female, about 5 feet 5 and 200 pounds. She was also wearing gray pants. tbo.com