Austin, TX: Chick-fil-A manager accused of stealing over $100k; Refund fraud!!
The Austin Police Department has arrested and charged Justin Roy Felder of Austin with Theft, a Second Degree Felony. Felder is accused of stealing over 100-thousand dollars in false returns for the Chick-fil-A where he worked. This happened at the Chick-fil-A located at 13201 N FM 620 Road NB in Austin. According to the arrest affidavit, the investigation began in June of 2013 when the operations director of that restaurant noticed an unusually large amount for a refund on the financial transaction reports. Felder was the manager on duty at the time of this incident. When asked about the refund, Felder admitted to authorizing it. The refund had been processed on a register that does not have cash, a terminal that is used for order taking in the drive thru. When asked where the money was located from the Felder responded, "There is no money, it was credited to my bank card." fox7austin.com

UPDATE: New York: Leader of $430,000 ID Theft Ring that targeted Saks gets at least 2 years in prison
The leader of an identity theft ring that used stolen credit card info to charge over $400,000 in designer duds at Saks Fifth Avenue was sentenced Thursday to two to four years in prison. Tamara Williams, 38, copped to grand larceny, identity theft and scheme to defraud as part of a plea deal she took in Manhattan Supreme Court last January. "She's satisfied with the resolution," said her defense lawyer Frank Rothman. "She got the minimum allowed." Williams pulled off the scheme that began in May of 2014 by recruiting three sales associates of the high-end Midtown retailer, according to the Manhattan district attorney's office. She supplied her cohorts with the credit card data, Social Security numbers and birthdays of over 20 Saks customers, authorities said. The three ex-workers used store computers to make $430,000 in fraudulent purchases using the stolen information. The ring's haul included a $10,000 YSL bag, a pair of $2,250 Giuseppe Zanotti boots and over 200 pairs of designer heels. The Saks workers passed the high-end goods to accomplices posing as shoppers. The phony buyers delivered the items to Williams who sold them on the black market, officials said. nypost.com

Mesa, AZ: Woman arrested in $3,000 Home Depot fraud scheme
A Mesa woman believed to be a member of a theft ring that targeted a home-improvement retailer faces felony charges after she was arrested in connection with several incidents of high-ticket merchandise being bought for minuscule prices after price tags were swapped, according to Mesa police. Ashlee Demery, 19, faces felony counts of fraud schemes, organized retail theft, shoplifting and criminal enterprise charges after her July 14 arrest. She is accused of involvement in a theft ring that caused Home Depot stores a collective loss of $2,898.22 in 14 incidents. Police said Demery was involved in eight incidents at the home-improvement retailer, which began May 4 and ended June 27.

Police said Demery and other suspects would use self-checkout kiosks to buy a $149 motion-sensor light or multiple dimmer switches valued at nearly $50 each for about $5 after switching the price tags with ones for light bulbs. They would then go back to a Home Depot days later to return the merchandise at its full-purchase value without a receipt using someone else's ID, police said. azcentral.com

Leavenworth County, KS: Walmart electronics shoplifter sentenced to 2 years; 2 prior theft convictions
(Kansas does not have an ORC law) A Leavenworth man has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for stealing electronic products from Wal-Mart, according to a news release from the Leavenworth County Attorney's Office. Ernest Whetstine Jr. was sentenced Thursday to 26 months in prison for two counts of felony theft. Whetstine was captured on security camera footage stealing electronics Aug. 4 and Aug. 5, 2014, from the Wal-Mart store in Leavenworth. He pleaded no contest to the theft charges July 8. The charges were felonies because he had two or more previous theft convictions. Whetstine was sentenced to 13 months for each charge, and the sentences were ordered to run consecutive. leavenworthtimes.com

Redmond, WA: Police investigating shoplifting suspects for narcotics, forgery, organized retail theft
Police took a shoplifting report at 2:15 p.m. at Target and spotted a white van in the lot associated with package thefts in the area. Officers made contact with two suspects as they approached the van, found the reported stolen property on them, as well as methamphetamines and a forged Washington driver's license. K9 Remy detected narcotics in the van, it was towed and Redmond Police Department requested a warrant to search it. Both suspects were arrested and investigations for narcotics, forgery, organized retail theft and package theft are ongoing. redmond-reporter.com

Denton, TX: Denton Police investigating a cart full of theft from Albertsons
Denton police have a few clues to go on after a Wednesday grocery store theft, according to a police report. Officers were called to the Albertsons shortly before 3 p.m. regarding the theft. The caller said several suspects had filled a shopping cart with items and left the store without paying. An employee was able to get photos of some of the suspects and the vehicle they left the store in, the report said. dentonrc.com

Dallas, TX: Old Navy Shoplifting suspects lead officers on chase

New Haven, IN: Police searching for man who stole $1,200 of cigarettes