Prison for 'ringleader' in Cabela's theft ring
The last of four people involved in a scam to return items stolen from stores to fund drug habits has been sentenced. Joel Austin McMullen, 27, will spend the next 18 months to 20 years in prison for his role in the scam that police say netted the group more than $3,000, which was used primarily to buy narcotics.

His cohorts have already been sentenced for their involvement. Stephanie Joy Bekkering, 27, was sentenced to 14 months to 20 years in prison while her husband, Kyle Nathan Scheuneman, received 16 months to 20 years in prison after they both admitted to joining the heroin-fueled endeavor.

According to Grandville Police Department investigators, 22-year-old Todd Nathan Jamison stole items from Cabela's Sporting Goods Store near RiverTown Crossings mall in Grandville at the behest of Scheuneman, but detectives identified McMullen as the ringleader. The group returned the stolen items to the store where they would receive gift cards because they had no receipts, police say. They then sold the gift cards for drug money.  mlive.com

Rehoboth Beach, DE: Delaware State Police arrest 5 in a seaside ORC spree  Five people are arrested and charged in connection with an organized shoplifting ring in Sussex County, according to Delaware State Police. Troopers say around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, they received a report of a suspicious vehicle parked in the parking lot of Seaside Outlets with people possibly shoplifting items from nearby stores. Upon the troopers' arrival to the area, authorities say a red car was found and matched the description give to the dispatcher. Police say they then contacted four people inside the vehicle and also found several bags of suspected merchandise in the back seat. Police searched the vehicle and confirmed the items were stolen merchandise from several retail stores in the Seaside and Bayside Outlets, including Express, Nike, J. Crew, Under Armor, Orvis, Sperry, American Eagle, Nautica, and Pacific Sunwear, according to police, totaling a value of more than $2,600. Police say they also found three metal wire cutters used to cut the anti-theft devices that are attached to the clothing. Police say they also found drug paraphernalia in the vehicle. wboc.com

Atlanta, GA: $35K in jeans, hoodies taken from Dillard's in Atlantic Station smash-and-grab  Thieves smashed their way into the Dillard's department store at Atlantic Station early Tuesday, making off with nearly $35,000 in high-dollar jeans and hoodies, police said. According to Atlanta police spokeswoman Kim Jones, the thieves used a large rock to shatter the side glass doors to the store about 2 a.m. The store's assistant manager told investigators she noticed 200 pairs of Rock Revival jeans that sell for $169 a pair had been taken, along with four Ralph Lauren Polo hoodies valued at $145 each. ajc.com



East Windsor, CT: Police Searching for Suspects in Walmart Thefts  They say the women pictured below used their Labor Day holiday to shoplift more than $500 worth of merchandise from the store. They say the blond woman distracted the Walmart greeter to allow the woman pushing the cart to scoot by. They say a child is with the woman pushing the cart. wtnh.com



Traverse City, MI: Couple accused in Shoplifting Spree; Red purse gave her away
An open box in a Wal-Mart aisle started an evidence trail that led authorities to a Traverse City couple now accused of using children to help shoplift more than $1,500 from the store. Lindsey Daughtry's distinctive red purse proved to be a vital bit of evidence in a subsequent sheriff's department probe. The investigation led prosecutors to authorize charges this week against the Daughtrys for first-degree retail fraud and contributing to the delinquency of a child. Giddis said the suspects remained unidentified until the Wal-Mart employee met with a Grand Traverse Mall security officer who recognized Ernest Daughtry. record-eagle.com

Northbrook, IL: Nearly $8,000 of iPod Nanos stolen from store
Employees of a Northbrook Court store reported noticing around 5 p.m. Aug. 30 that all of the store's iPod Nanos had been stolen. Missing are 40 to 50 of the devices, worth $6,000 to $8,000. chicagotribune.com

Twin Falls, ID: Alert Police officer nabs shoplifter coming out of Target
Twin Falls police say a man attempting to shoplift from Target walked right past a police officer with an armful of clothing. Authorities say the officer approached the 25-year-old man in the parking lot as he carried $80 worth of clothes on hangers without a bag. The officer asked if he had a receipt but the man was unable to produce one after pretending to search his car. Authorities say the man quickly turned on his vehicle and fled. Police say the officer had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. A brief pursuit was called off. The shoplifter was arrested on Monday. ktvb.com

London, England: Topshop Sales Assistant stole $38,000 in clothes to sell on Ebay
A sales assistant at Topshop's flagship store on Oxford Street stole almost $38,000 of clothes and cosmetics to sell on eBay. Stephen Hung, 35, is accused of pocketing $9,200 from the scam - and stealing "in excess of 700" garments from the fashionable clothing shop. Prosecutors said Hung targeted items worth $38,000 that had not been tagged and then hid them as he strolled out of the store at the end of his shifts between February and December last year. Prosecutor Grace Ong said Hung set up three Ebay accounts and then sold the stock for profit. itv.com

Tokyo Police arrest 2 International Jewel Thieves, members of the 'Pink Panda' Crime Organization'  The Tokyo Police has recently arrested two Chinese suspects for stealing a diamond ring valued at $170,000. The arrest, according to Interpol, occurred on 20 August at Narita Airport. Footage from a Tokyo jeweler's security camera enabled Interpol in Japan to publish a Purple Notice illustrating how the suspects entered the shop in January and pocketed the diamond ring while diverting the vendor's attention. Based on intelligence generated by similar jewelry heists in France, Tokyo police and Interpol's Paris office worked together to identify the two suspects as 44-year old Huang Wende and 40-year old Zhang Liangchen, members of the renowned 'Pink Panda' crime group. 'Pink Panda' is an organized crime theft ring that has been operating worldwide for at least five years and targets high-value jewels. israelidiamond.co.il