Organized Retail Crime a growing trend in Minnesota; $20,000 in Louis Vuitton bags recovered  Police arrested eight men after investigators say they stole merchandise from a Louis Vuitton store Wednesday and then took officers on a high speed chase. Experts believe it underscores a growing issue that retail stores are dealing with: organized retail theft. "It's much more sophisticated than it used to be," said Bruce Nustad, president of the Minnesota Retailers Association. Last year, law enforcement and the retailers formed the group, Twin Cities Organized Retail Crime Association in order to work together to combat the problem. "Organized retail crime costs consumers and retailers across the U.S. $30 billion a year. So it is significant," he said. According to a 2014 National Retail Federation report, 8 in 10 retailers say they were victims of organized retail theft in the past year. And according to Nustad, the problem appears to be growing, in part because of social media. kare11.com

Sarasota, FL suspects face 103 counterfeit credit card charges
Detectives added 103 charges to a group of four men arrested last week for using counterfeit credit cards. The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office arrested Mickenson Desir, Ricardy Multidor, Shnyder Rouzar, and Vladimir Saint-Hilaire last week after the group fraudulently purchased thousands of dollars worth of merchandise during two trips to the Mall at University Town Center. "To put it in perspective, in two hours worth of work for them, they had over $10,000 worth of fraud," Detective Carlos Verdoni said. "In the five days we think they've been here, it's over $27,000." Verdoni believes the group may be part of a larger organized ring operating out of Miami. myfoxtampabay.com

Harbor Freight Employee part of a scheme with 4 others; theft of over $11,000 in Ceredo, WV  Tools stole more than $11,000 cash and merchandise from his Ceredo employer as part of a scheme that involved four other men. Thomas Joshua Bocook, 19, of Huntington, stands charged with felony fraudulent schemes and misdemeanor receiving/transferring stolen property. He was released Wednesday afternoon on a $10,000 bond. Criminal complaints say Bocook used his post to give refunds on gift cards and create fake returns, both methods by which he took cash from the register. Bocook used the gift cards, merchandise and money to buy a stolen El Camino and trade for other work, according to the criminal complaint. herald-dispatch.com

TJ Maxx apprehends 3 ORC thieves in Rockaway Twp, NJ with nearly $8,000 in merchandise  Shoplifters, one armed with wire cutters, tried to walk out of shops in Rockaway Township and East Hanover with thousands of dollars worth of clothes, shoes and designer handbags in a two-day period, according to criminal complaints. On Tuesday, Plainfield residents Asa B. Braxton, 37, Lashawntae M. Hill, 18, and Kina O'Neal, 33, were charged with stealing $7,698 worth of purses, shoes, wallets and other merchandise from TJ Maxx on Route 46 in Rockaway Township. dailyrecord.com

Couple attempts theft of nearly $1,000 in baby formula at Meijers in Allen Park, MI  The store's loss prevention officer contacted police after beginning surveillance of a couple who she recognized from a previous theft. As she watched, the couple began to fill a large plastic tote bag inside their cart with several cases of Enfamil formula before attempting to exit the store. In the previous theft, which occurred the day before, the couple took more than $600-worth of baby formula. When the loss prevention officer confronted the suspects outside the store, they left the baby formula behind and got into a car. Loss prevention was able to recover the nearly $750-worth of Enfamil in the cart before the vehicle fled the scene. thenewsherald.com