Nationwide ORC ring the "Gypsy Family" busted targeting Apples stores and other electronics retailers for over $3M   Four Chicago residents have admitted to Torrance police detectives that they are a "Gypsy family" from Poland responsible for shoplifting crimes at electronics stores across the United States, pilfering some $3 million in property during the last year. The suspected thieves arrested March 8 in Hawthorne are believed responsible for 17 crimes at Apple stores in Manhattan Beach, Pasadena, Canoga Park, Glendale, Brea, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and Irvine, along with a MacMall in Torrance, a Microsoft store in Mission Viejo, and other businesses across Los Angeles and Orange counties, including Best Buy, Costco, PetSmart, Sam's Club, Sports Authority and Wal-Mart, Torrance police Sgt. Robert Watt said. Detectives described the group as a "retail theft ring" and said the arrests might lead to more evidence, suspects and victims. Investigators are working with police agencies throughout the country. (Source dailybreeze.com) (Source cbslocal.com)

Skimming duo and Subway POS vendor charged with $40k of gift card theft from Subways across the country  One suspect owned a Subway franchise in Southern California from 2005 to 2008 and later ran a business called POS Doctor that sold POS terminals to Subways across the country, according to the Justice Department. Around 2011, Abdollahi allegedly sold terminals to Subway franchises in California, Massachusetts, and Wyoming that were loaded with LogMeIn, a remote desktop tool. Prosecutors accused Shahin Abdollahi, aka "Sean Holdt," and Jeffrey Thomas Wilkinson of hacking at least 13 point-of-sale (POS) terminals to install software that fraudulently loaded at least $40,000 onto Subway gift cards, according to an indictment unsealed in Boston on Friday (see below). The pair then allegedly used the cards to make purchases at Subway shops and sold them on eBay and Craigslist. (Source cnet.com)
 
Northampton, UK, based Romanian shoplifting gang jailed 
A gang of Romanian shoplifters based in Northampton who operated all over Britain have been jailed and recommended for deportation by a judge. The five worked stores with look-outs while they loaded shopping carts and brazenly walked out of stores with thousands in stolen goods. The judge said - You are an organised gang who have come to this country and travelled this country to carry out substantial thefts within a very short time of arriving. Detrrent sentences are required. For all five of you to have come from your own country and reward this country’s hospitality with these sorts of thefts is appalling behaviour.” (Source northamptonchron.co.uk)

Two woman ORC ring busted hitting Dillard's in Hickory, N.C. 
Two Hickory women were arrested Thursday in the Valley Hills Mall parking lot after they left Dillard’s with more than $1,000 worth of stolen clothing. Felicia Denise Kennedy, 25, of 950 20th St. NE, No. 9A was charged with one count of felony larceny. She was also charged on outstanding warrants dated Jan. 26 with one count each of felony defeating an anti-shoplifting device, felony larceny and felony habitual larceny. She was placed in the Catawba County Detention Facility under a $57,500 secured bond. (Source hickoryrecord.com)

Booster Bag thieves steal $2600 of merchandise from 8 stores in Limerick Outlet Mall.  Two male suspects were arrested at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets, one of the suspects produced a Romanian Driver’s license to police. Upon a search of the suspect’s car, police found several bags of Under Armour clothing, one pair of Under Armour sneakers, one pair of Adidas sneakers, three pairs of Nike sneakers and Nike clothing as well as clothing from Aeropostale, items from the Disney Store and Yankee Candle. (Source montgomerynews.com)

New Jersey Police halt $8000 Crime Spree from CVS.  
Old Tappan police are looking for the third member of a large-scale ring responsible for a shoplifting spree throughout Bergen and Rockland counties after finding two of them with more than $8,000 worth of stolen goods from several area pharmacies. Officer Wilkins was on patrol when the trio hit a CVS in the Bi-State Plaza on Old Tappan Road. Responding to a call from a CVS employee, Officer Eugene Wilkins spotted the thieves’ car. As he tried to pull the car over, it turned down a dead end. All three then got out and ran toward a wooded area. Wilkins immediately grabbed one suspect; another officer snared a second suspect with assistance from officers out of River Vale and Harrington Park. (Source northjersey.com)


Two women hit Lancaster Mall, Salem, OR., - multiple stores - stuffing bags - multiple nights - for phone accessories  The video shows the suspects selectively seeking out items that aren’t tethered down last Wednesday night. Staff at both stores said the women came back on Friday. Hitting Radio Shack, Mac Store, and others. (Source katu.com)


Identity thief bilked billions of dollars from retailers and government, and ruined credit ratings  Investigators say Erkes Antwon Green, 28, is part of a network of identification thieves who have collected pertinent information from hundreds of unsuspecting people using a "keystroke grabber," a device which, when attached to a computer, can collect information about which keyboard keys are struck, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Friday. He was able to get about $14,000 from the ATM before the bank realized the check was no good," Stapler said, adding after police traced Green to his Atlanta apartment, "I discovered a file cabinet and counted at least 142 files that had people's names, date of birth and Social Security numbers. He's doing tax returns with each of these names. While we're in the apartment we discover he's furnished the whole apartment using stolen identities. (Source upi.com)