Fencing Operation Update: Four more former employees arrested in Lebanon pawn shop fencing operation Friday - JT's Buy & Sell pawn shop  First reported in the Daily on April 2, the police have continued their investigation and arrested four more employees selling stolen merchandise. Investigators alleged that Jones and his employees bought and sold property that others had stolen from area retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Kmart. The sales totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars, District Attorney David Arnold said at the time.  ldnews.com

Fencing Operation Update: Lebanon pawn shop owner also faces new charge - running illegal pawn shop - $90,000 recovered  Larry Ardell Jones, 51, was charged with a violation of the Pawnbrokers License Act after numerous people told authorities they left items of property with his store, JT's Buy and Sell, in exchange for short term loans, Lebanon County District Attorney David Arnold said in a news release. The people claimed they had to repay the loan by a certain day or they would forfeit their rights to their property. Arnold said the allegations meet the definition of pawning, which requires a license from the Pennsylvania Department of Banking that Jones did not have. Jones was additionally charged with prohibited offensive weapons after authorities said they found three shotguns with barrels lengths less than 18 inches during a search of his home on March 31. Jones initially was charged April 2 after authorities said he paid shoplifters for the products they stole from national retailers, then sold the items online and at his store. Arnold said police seized more than $70,000 in suspected stolen goods at JT's Buy and Sell and another $20,000 worth from a warehouse on Federal Street during an investigation that began in January 2014. abc27.com

Three member California skimming gang busted using cloned credit cards at Fred Meyer in Vancouver, WA  The investigation showed that that the counterfeit debit cards were used to purchase expensive electronics, clothing, and gift cards from cities from Medford, Oregon to Vancouver, Washington. The loss in these cases was over $8,400.00. Surveillance photos showed multiple Hispanic males and a female committing these crimes. Those photos were forwarded to retail outlets throughout the region. On April 21, a loss prevention officer at Fred Meyer in Vancouver, Washington recognized three suspects who matched the description of the suspects and was able to get a photo of the suspects and their van with California license plates. The suspect and vehicle information were forwarded to law enforcement agencies in the area. On April 22, Beaverton Police Detective Jason Buelt located the suspects in a hotel in Beaverton and followed them when they left, eventually taking them into custody and seizing large boxes that they were attempting to mail. Subsequent search warrants served on the hotel room, vehicle and the boxes that the suspects were mailing yielded over 100 fraudulent credit/debit cards, multiple items of high end electronics, new articles of brand name clothing, gift cards, nearly $3,500 in currency and a Louis Vuitton handbag valued at over $3,000. Said Detective Korcek, "These suspects were very prolific in their activities and were able to steal thousands of dollars worth of goods, services and gift cards. They were very sophisticated in their actions and showed how much damage they can do in a short period of time. The scheme first came to the attention of the Salem Police Department on April 9, 2015 when representatives of the Maps Credit Union and Pioneer Trust Bank in Salem reported fraudulent transactions that involved counterfeit debit cards for several of their customers. Columbia Bank also reported similar activity on the following week with some of their customers. z100portland.com

Five suspects in counterfeit credit card ring arrested in El Dorado County, Calif. - Hundreds of stolen credit card numbers found  Five Bay Area residents have been arrested in El Dorado County, accused of being part of a counterfeit credit card ring. The investigation led police to the suspects motel room here they found numerous credit cards, gift cards and up to 200 various four-digit number sequences that could be imprinted on blank cards, and a machine that is used to manufactures credit cards. In the motel room, deputies found evidence of credit card manufacturing activities and hundreds of stolen credit card numbers. The investigation is ongoing. sacbee.com

Skimming gang operating in Kent County, West Mi., buying merchandise in stores  Deputies say several West Michigan police agencies are investigating what they call a "rash" of credit card fraud complaints. Police allege the men are using the credit card information to make purchases. Investigators did not say how they were using the skimming device. Police believe they are driving a silver over blue 2000 Ford Excursion with Florida registration D1BFP. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the two men can call police at 616-632-6537 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345. mlive.com

Father-son ORC duo arrested for ORC in Beaverton, OR. hitting stores in multiple states over eight week period for $72,000  Beaverton police say they nabbed a father and son duo for organized retail theft happening in several states across the Northwest. Police say 56-year-old Robert Stephen Ellwood and his 28-year-old son Robert William Ellwood sold $72,000 in stolen merchandise to investigators over an eight-week period. The duo targeted stores, such as Safeway and Albertsons, and stole everyday health and beauty products, according to police. Police say the duo stole from stores in Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.  kptv.com

2 gang members charged with robbing Abercrombie & Fitch in Rolling Hills Estates  Two South Los Angeles gang members were charged Friday with holding up a Rolling Hills Estates clothing store and making off with $3,000 in perfume, deputies said. Maynor Antonio Douglas, 20, and Kervon Jordan, 18, were arrested Wednesday following an investigation by Lomita sheriff's deputies into the April 8 crime at Abercrombie & Fitch. Similar thefts occurred at stores in Lakewood, Redondo Beach and Santa Monica. Evidence was collected from each crime and detectives quickly identified the suspects. dailybreeze.com

Sheboygan Co, WI Police nab The Baby Formula Bandit
Call her the baby formula bandit. 26 year old Jessica Saunders is facing six retail theft charges, one felony and five misdemeanors, for her alleged actions at Sheboygan County supermarkets over the past month. According to criminal complaints filed this past week in Sheboygan County Court, the Sheboygan County Sheriff's Department arrested the Plymouth woman April 25. Saunders was identified as the person who performed three similar theft incidents at Wal-Marts in Sheboygan and Plymouth March 31, April 2, and April 25. whbl.com

Man Tells Tulsa, OK Police 'Just Take Me Jail' After Stopped For Shoplifting  Police arrested a homeless man they call a serial shoplifter. Officers were called to the Kohl's store on 71st Street east of Highway 169 just before 9 p.m. Sunday after security saw the man leaving the store. Security told police they recognized Clint McConaghie, 37, because of past shoplifting incidents at the store. A short time later, police spotted McConaghie in a black GMC Arcadia and stopped it. Officers said McConaghie admitted he was wanted on nine felony warrants for shoplifting and told them "just take me to jail." Police searched the SUV, which was reported stolen in Owasso, and found merchandise from Kohl's inside. They booked Clint McConaghie into the Tulsa County jail on several complaints of larceny of a retailer. Jail records show he has a court appearance set for May 11. newson6.com



Man and woman wanted in $1,500 retail theft in Silver Spring Township, PA  Police are looking for a man and woman after a retail theft in Silver Spring Township on April 29. Silver Spring Township Police said the incident occurred at Wal-Mart, 6520 Carlisle Pike, when the two conspired together to remove more than $1,500 worth of merchandise. The pair, accompanied by a minor child, left in a gold-colored sedan, possibly a Honda, police said. cumberlink.com





Man wanted in retail theft of large amount of baby formula from Walmart store in Lower Allen Township, PA