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Home Depot LP ID's Fencing Operation
Fencing Operation: Lakewood, Wash., thrift store 'Thrift - T' sold stolen goods
Investigators busted Thrift-T, located at 9622 40th Ave SW, on February 18th,
after being tipped off that the store was selling stolen items. Inside, they
recovered more than $150,000 worth of stuff, from power tools to toys and car
parts to clothing.
Detectives were first tipped off by the Home Depot in Gig Harbor, Lawler
said. Loss prevention workers at the store believed an organized theft ring
was responsible for roughly $100,000 in stolen items in the South Puget Sound.
Employees tracked the goods to the Lakewood shop, police said. Officers set
up a sting, selling high-priced power tools to the store on two separate
occasions -- with the security tags still intact.
Online" (Pawn/Second Hand reporting program) and found "Thrift-T" was purchasing
large qualities of new items from individuals. After purchasing the items,
"Thrift-T" would sell the items on EBay. Further investigation found that the
individuals selling the items had criminal history for shoplifting and theft.
Home Depot donated over $1200 in brand new merchandise to the Lakewood Police
Department Property Crimes/Robbery Unit to assist in the investigation.
Undercover officers from the Lakewood PD sold these items to "Thrift-T" on two
consecutive days. Some of these items had the security devices still attached to
them.
The Lakewood Police Department Property Crimes/Robbery Unit served a search
warrant on the business (02-18-16 to 02-19-16) over the course of two days and
recovered several items. A large quantity of security devices that were removed
from items were located in the trash at the business. A total of 2500+ items
were seized valued at approximately $150,000-$200,000. Victims include Home
Depot, Lowes, Fred Meyer, Target, Kohls and several more unidentified retailers.
Some of the items recovered included miscellaneous power tools, beauty
supplies, vitamins, household products, personal hygiene products, toys,
electronics, sporting goods, arts, clothing, automotive parts, musical items,
home improvement item, hand tools and pet supplies.
Authorities arrested the store owner, Timothy Tull, for first degree trafficking
in stolen property. During the raid, police found more than 90 security tags in
the store dumpster, Lawler said. Lawler said additional arrests are likely.
Officers are currently going through records the shop kept, which proves how
crucial a citywide pawn shop database can be, he said.
This release was delayed to facilitate additional investigation into the
business and the subjects suspected of selling the stolen property. komonews.com
thesubtimes.com
 Three
'Ghanaian gang' members arrested on suspicion of 500,000 pound credit card fraud
in UK
Three people believed to be part of a Ghanaian gang have been arrested on
suspicion of using fraudulent credit cards to fund a half-a-million pound
spending spree on Rolex watches, top-of-the-range computers and fine dining. Two
men, aged 34 and 35, and a woman, 34, were arrested in Croydon during dawn raids
by City of London Police fraud squad this morning. They have been arrested on
suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering in Croydon and Beckenham.
Detectives believe the gang was running an elaborate identity fraud using fake
passports and driving licenses to create fraudulent utility bills to buy
companies that were already registered and apply for ban accounts and corporate
credit cards for limits up to L400,000 pounds.
yourlocalguardian.co.uk
West Des Moines Man Convicted on Multiple Charges Involving Multi-State
Organized Retail Theft Scheme, Child Pornography and Witness
On March 1, 2016, a jury in the Southern District of Iowa convicted Bradley J.
Prucha, 38, of West Des Moines, Iowa, on multiple counts from an organized
retail theft scheme, child pornography, and witness tampering.
From around October 2013 through May 2015, Prucha led a scheme to purchase items
from various retailers using UPC bar code stickers that Prucha created.
Prucha used these stickers, and provided these stickers to others, to
purchase items at significantly lower costs than their actual retail value.
These purchases occurred at stores from Iowa to Florida, where Prucha
maintained a residence, as well as states surrounding Iowa such as Nebraska and
Illinois. Prucha returned the items to stores, or sold them using eBay,
Craigslist, and to direct buyers, for close to their actual retail value.
Some of the individuals Prucha used to perpetrate this scheme included minors.
Prucha was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit interstate sale and
receipt of stolen property and mail fraud, as well as six counts of mail fraud,
for his role in this scheme. justice.gov
Baltimore, MD: Conspirator in CC Fraud Gang of Five in Counterfeit Credit
Card Scheme Sentenced to Four Years in Prison
U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III sentenced Zachary O'Brien, age 31, of
Bronx, New York, today to four years in prison, followed by four years of
supervised release, for bank fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft
arising from a scheme to use counterfeit credit cards to purchase merchandise.
According to his plea, from February 2014, through October 2014, O'Brien
conspired with his co-defendants, Jerry Anderson, Steven Harris, Marquis
Johnson, and Steven Tejeda, as well as others, to use stolen credit card and
other personal information of customers of victim financial institutions to
purchase items, including Apple iPhones, at retail locations in Maryland and
elsewhere.
justice.gov
 Credit
Fraud Ring of four operating in Greensboro, N.C. - 6 Police agencies are
searching for them
About six law enforcement agencies in the Triad are tracking four people linked
to a credit card fraud ring in the area. Three men and a woman are believed to
have used stolen credit card information to buy gift cards and other items at
several discount department stores, said Detective R.D. Seals with the Guilford
County Sheriff's Office.
The four people are between the ages of 25 and 35 years old, drive different
large SUVs, including one that's silver and one that's black. They are possibly
a a Chevy Tahoe. The sheriff's office said it is investigating three cases.
However, the Greensboro and High Point police departments are also investigating
cases, as are law enforcement agencies in Randleman, Siler City and Forsyth and
Randolph counties.
The sheriff's office asks anyone with information regarding this case to call
Detective R.D. Seals at (336) 641-2683 or Crime Stoppers at (336) 373-1000.
greensboro.com
New Yorkers charged in three-state credit card theft ring targeting
Cleveland-area Giant Eagle stores
Two men are charged in a credit card theft ring that operated in Ohio, New York
and Pennsylvania and defrauded Northeast Ohio businesses of more than
$150,000," according to prosecutors." Brook Park police arrested Rondon
Bernard and Raymond Caballero, of New York state last month on wire fraud
charges and identity theft. The men had 25 different credit cards numbers, most
associated with Toronto Dominion Bank, according to police.
The men used the stolen credit card numbers to buy gift cards at Giant Eagle and
Get Go stores in three states and at least three Northeast Ohio Communities,
court records say. The men stole at least $150,000 in Northeast Ohio, which
included over $9,000 in purchases at the Giant Eagle supermarket in North
Olmsted, according to police Sgt. Bob Wagner.
Communities in Ohio, New York and western Pennsylvania have reported finding
credit card skimmers on gas pumps that can steal and transmit credit card data.
cleveland.com
Bethlehem Twp, PA: Pair charged in appliance thefts
from Boscov's and Wal-Mart
Police charged a couple formerly from West Easton on Wednesday for allegedly
stealing kitchen appliances from stores in Palmer and Bethlehem townships. The
scheme hit Boscov's in the Palmer Park Mall on Jan. 8, 14 and 15 and Wal-Mart on
Nazareth Pike in Bethlehem Township on Feb. 12. In the thefts from the mall in
Palmer Township, township police got onto the pair's trail after responding Jan.
15 to Boscov's to talk with security about a man and woman, later identified as
Ramos and Forrester, walking past all points of purchase with two $349.99
Kitchen Aid mixers in a shopping cart, records say. They allegedly left both
behind when confronted by security and fled in a burgundy Saturn sedan
registered to a Wilson Borough woman.
lehighvalleylive.com
Hatfield, PA: 'Felony Lane Gang' Member Busted In Hatfield After Manhunt
"Felony Lane Gang" member has been arrested after a seven-day manhunt, according
to reports. Sarah Ruth Langlitz, 32, of Fort Lauderdale, is allegedly a part of
the national crime group that focuses on robbery and identify theft, reports
state. She is allegedly connected to the same group that smashed into several
cop cars during a police chase on Tuesday afternoon. Langlitz was allegedly
involved with stealing money from KinderCare, The Upper Gwynedd Child Learning
Center and the Chesterbrook Academy.
patch.com
Serial shoplifter hitting Kroger and Walmart to
support his drug habit faces felony burglary charges in Toledo, OH
Chicago, IL: 3 charged in booze-fencing ring run
from West Side liquor store
Jackson, TN: Woman accused in $2,321 Wal-Mart
theft; said she had a receipt |
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