Back row (left to right): Mark Robinson (Area Director of AP), BJ Day (Regional AP Manager), and Justin Hallstrom (Regional AP Manager)

Middle Row: Jessica Nixon (Regional AP Manager), Cristina Hanson (Director of AP Operations), Dave Patel (Regional AP Manager), Steve Mick (VP of AP), and Ed Fuentes (Area Director of AP)

Front Row: Chris Voity (Regional AP Manager), Lauren Linsenbach (Regional AP Manager), and Ashley Fernando (Regional AP Manager)

Thanks to Steve Mick, VP of Asset Protection, Risk Management, and Revenue Assurance at Victra, for submitting this GLPS.
 

Recent ADT and Alarm.com Deals Making Waves
Alarm.com + OpenEye Becomes a "Pretty Formidable Competitor"
ADT & I-View Propels An Entire Industry to Wipe Out False Alarms

“Alarm.com has a lot of exposure to the residential alarm business, and while there still is good potential there, to try and continue to show 20- to 25-percent year-over-year growth, diversifying into other channels that are going to show strong performance is going to be important,” Mack said. “Commercial is probably the biggest and most obvious of the areas to move into and this deal is an important enabler for commercial, where video and related information is increasingly critical to success in that sector.”

He continued: “They’ve got the intrusion piece; they have been developing the access control piece; and this OpenEye deal gives them the cloud-managed video piece, so they kind of have the triple play, as well as all of the accouterments that you can add to the triple play, like video analytics, where they have some of the leading engineers and also in software, data analysis and cloud hosting, so they are a pretty formidable competitor.” 

ADT & I-View propels monitoring services to the next level. May Propel an entire industry.

Looking at the ADT deal for I-View Now, George De Marco, ESX chairman/managing partner, DECO Ventures LLC, noted on the phone and in his blog that alarm verification technology, like I-View Now’s, propels monitoring services to the next level.

“With the recent announcement of ADT’s purchase of I-View Now’s technology, this move may finally propel the industry to aggressively adopt and adapt next-gen solutions that use sensors, images and data to effectively determine the threat level from an intrusion or fire alarm activation,” De Marco said. “False alarm dispatches may finally become a thing of the past.”

This is the technology to kind of make that real and to be serious about solving this problem. This technology is the wave of the future and ADT wants to be out in front and say that it is the point of differentiation for buying an ADT system.” securitysystemsnews.com

Published in the Daily 10-18: ADT Acquires I-View Now to Help Revolutionize Professional Monitoring

Published in the Daily 10-22: Alarm.com Acquires OpenEye to Expand Commercial Solutions
 

NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill expected to step down from NYPD
O’Neill’s anticipated resignation comes a little over three years after he was appointed as the city’s 43rd top cop — and on the heels of firing chokehold cop Daniel Pantaleo amid mounting pressure.

O’Neill, 61, rose through the ranks, serving as the commanding officer in three precincts — Central Park, the 25th in Harlem and the busy 44th in the Bronx — before becoming chief of patrol in 2014. Two years later, Mayor Bill de Blasio named him commissioner when then-commissioner Bill Bratton stepped down.

Since then, O’Neill has embraced neighborhood policing — a method credited with driving down crime that’s aimed at strengthening the relationship between cops and the community by having officers on patrol in the same neighborhoods on the same shifts.

Pantaleo’s fate rested in O’Neill’s hands following NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Trials Rosemarie Maldonado’s recommendation that he be fired for the 2014 death of Eric Garner. O’Neill said he agreed with Maldonado’s scathing ruling in announcing his much-anticipated decision on Aug. 19 to terminate the 14-year veteran — a move that received swift blowback from rank-and-file. nypost.com

Watch Him at the D&D Daily's New Year's Kickoff - Jan. 16, 2017
NYPD Commissioner "Jimmy" O'Neill spoke at LP's New Year's Kickoff event in Jan. 2017 as keynote speaker of the night, taking time for pictures with attending LP teams and vendors, then addressing the crowd in a speech focusing on current issues facing the retail community. He had just been sworn in after Commissioner Bill Bratton had just retired. BTW Bratton was hoping to join Hillary Clinton's team after her being elected to the Presidency.

McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook out for using ‘poor judgment’ in consensual relationship with employee
McDonald’s has booted CEO Steve Easterbrook after its board determined a consensual relationship he had with an employee violated company policy. Easterbrook will be replaced by Chris Kempczinski, who has most recently served as president of McDonald’s USA.

The termination was unrelated to the company’s performance, it said. McDonald’s has been struggling to drive people into its stores amid heavy competition. chicagotribune.com


Retail & Fast Food Industries - More Sexually Harassed Than Any Other
Nearly half of young retail workers report being sexually harassed, on average, seven times a year

A survey of more than 3,000 union members by the Australian Human Rights Commission, released today, shows young workers in the retail and fast food industries are more likely to be sexually harassed than those in other sectors.

The largest group of harassers was customers, at 36 per cent.

Various forms of co-workers made up the rest of the harassers:

● Peers (27 per cent)
● Senior co-workers (12 per cent)
● Managers (12 per cent)
● Direct supervisors (11 per cent)
● Business owners (3 per cent)

More than one response was possible.

Female retail workers under 30 years old were most likely to be harassed, making up 46 per cent of all victims. Of everyone in that age bracket who reported being sexually harassed, they revealed it happened, on average, seven times in the past year.

Some of the first-hand examples reported by survey respondents included:

● "Customers have threatened to rape me in the car park."
● "Wearing a name badge also makes it easy for predators to look us up online."
● "I was asked yesterday by a customer what condoms I use with my boyfriend."
● "Having a customer with his hfands down his pants whilst looking at me down the aisle."

The customer is not always right.

The Human Rights Commission conducted the survey for the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) union.

Sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins said the figures showed sexual harassment was a community-wide problem.

Under Armour faces investigation into accounting practices
Justice Department, SEC examining how sportswear maker recorded revenue; company says it is cooperating with investigators.

Federal authorities are investigating Under Armour Inc.’s accounting practices in a probe examining whether the sportswear maker shifted sales from quarter to quarter to appear healthier, according to people familiar with the matter.

Justice Department prosecutors are conducting a criminal inquiry into the matter in coordination with civil investigators at the Securities and Exchange Commission, another person said.

When examining what are known as revenue-recognition practices, authorities generally focus on whether companies record revenue before it is earned or defer the dating of expenses to make earnings appear stronger, among other possible infractions. wsj.com

Facial Recognition Software Sparks Transparency Battle
Another Privacy Advocate Article in Law 360

About a quarter of law enforcement agencies in the U.S. have access to a facial recognition system, and over half of American adults are in a facial recognition database, according to Jameson Spivack, policy associate at the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown University Law Center.

The FBI, meanwhile, has performed 390,186 facial recognition searches, and between 2017 and April 2019 received 152,565 law enforcement requests for searches, according to June testimony before the House Oversight and Reform Committee from Deputy Assistant Director Kimberly J. Del Greco.

"Any time we have a technology that's going to help us be more professional and have a better ability to perform our job, we want to make sure that we embrace that," said Ronald Lawrence, president of the California Police Chiefs Association, which lobbied against California's body camera bill, whittling it down from a total ban to a three-year moratorium.

The investigation of the Boston Marathon bombing is "a perfect example" of how facial recognition can be a boon to both police and the public, said Lawrence, who pointed out that the technology "was critical to solving that case."

Despite these successes, activists continue to fight law enforcement's use of the technology. Hofer says he is currently working with four other cities on banning facial recognition software. law360.com

Inside Edition Wants to Produce an Episode on Retail ORC
Anyone Interested in Shooting One?

One of their Investigative Producers has contacted us asking if we might know of any retailer that would allow them to get involved at the ground level, so to speak, in an ORC investigation and apprehension. As they would like to do a segment on the national problem with a real-world case to back it up.

As some will remember, a few years ago another group filmed shoplifting apprehensions in Southern California with the help of a contract security firm and a local retailer. This appears to be different from the respect that the Producer recognizes that ORC is not typical shoplifting and it's representative of a much deeper industry problem.

If anyone would be willing to discuss it with them, let us know and we'll put you in touch with him.
- Gus Downing
 

DOJ Awards $165M in Public Safety Funding to NC
Check with Your Local PD's & See if they Have Grant Funds for that Special Retail Program

The Department of Justice today announced awards of more than $165 million to support public safety efforts in the state of North Carolina. The funding from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will support violent crime reduction, opioid/substance abuse reduction efforts, school safety, victim services, transitional housing for domestic violence victims, law enforcement activities, justice mental health, and juvenile justice. justice.gov

Editor's Note: Often used by local PD's to fund ORC Task force, holiday shoplifting blitzes and assisting retail LP efforts. Does your city have any of these funds available and can you apply? Ask your local detective or officer or possibly ask your superior to submit a formal request. Below you'll find the DOJ program itself.

DOJ Grants
The Department of Justice offers funding opportunities to support law enforcement and public safety activities in state, local, and tribal jurisdictions; to assist victims of crime; to provide training and technical assistance; to conduct research; and to implement programs that improve the criminal, civil, and juvenile justice systems.

Communities that have been affected by mass violence incidents may be able to apply for assistance through several DOJ grants. Learn more

The DOJ Program Plan is a tool to help applicants and grantees find funding opportunities (solicitations) managed by the DOJ grant-making components that address their criminal, juvenile, and civil justice needs. 

DOJ Program Plan Home Page

https://www.justice.gov/grants
 

Retail fails: 6 of the biggest blunders from industry history
Every now and then in retail, decisions turn out so badly that leaders can't even blame the weather. Or "fashion misses." 

There are times when a decision, or its execution, or both, are so flawed or ill-fated that they change the trajectory of a year, or two, or a company's entire future. These stand as cautionary tales for the entire industry. 

There are lessons in these failures. Very often they revolve around myopia. Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail. He thinks some of the biggest retail failures boil down to "believing your own hype" and the isolation of leaders from criticism. "It's like the 'Emperor's New Clothes,'" Saunders said. "It takes that child in the room to say, 'You know what? This isn't very sensible. This is a really dumb decision.'"

After talking with retail experts, we compiled a list of some of the biggest mistakes that still loom over the retail industry today, in their implications if nothing else.

1. That time J.C. Penney tried to become Apple - "Doing nothing wasn't really an option. But doing what they did was a worse option than doing nothing."

2. Most decisions at Sears from 1993 onward - "It really just ended up backfiring on them."

3. Kmart's big-box binge - In the years before it went bankrupt, Kmart acquired sporting goods retailer Sports Authority, bookseller Borders, office supplier OfficeMax, the home improvement retailer that would become Builders Square, and club retailer Pace Membership Warehouse. Kmart would turn around and sell or spin off those acquisitions just a few years later as the company's eponymous discount stores faltered and it looked to raise cash.
 
4. Target's $7 billion 'debacle' in Canada - Everything that followed the creation of Target Canada is a study in the scope of things that can be done badly in retail.

5. American Apparel's blindspot — its toxic public image - "[American Apparel] became a victim of this enormous arrogance within the company. And that led it to become just completely disconnected from any semblance of what is reasonable in terms of marketing and promotion and behavior."

6. When Ascena doubled down on a declining sector - "[Ascena] bought apparel chains that were poorly positioned in a bid to become a dominant apparel merchandiser, and they did it at exactly the wrong time," Egelanian said. "It was incredibly exposed to the regional mall business. And what does it do? It goes and buys regional mall retailers." retaildive.com

The Many Values of Store Visits
Are You Out There Hitting Those Stores?
The difference between success and failure can be as simple as visiting each store and having a relationship with employees.

The c-store industry is, and will continue to be, a people business. As such, you cannot overlook the many values gained by making frequent visits to your No. 1 and No. 2 assets - your employees and your c-stores. It's here where the magic happens, and it's here where your success as a company is determined

Through the many years I've been associated with c-stores and truck stops, the visits that stand out most are the planned visits from our Big Oil partners. We would spend hours getting the stores in near-pristine shape, only to have our partners not show up. I'm going to estimate about half of their "planned" visits never took place, and this was often a blow to employee morale. Store employees, both management and staff, would be dressed in their best uniforms and prepared for an inspection that never came. In fairness, many of the missed visits were not intentional; however, the damage was done. Feelings were hurt, and each subsequent planned visit was taken less seriously. cstoreindustry.com

Editor's Note: Over the years one of the top observations made by a lot of executives and solution providers, and interestingly enough widely mentioned, is those leaders who don't travel that much to their stores and a few who just don't travel virtually at all. And it's such a core basic but easily discounted when budgets are tight. But like the opening line to this article, it can be the difference between success and failure of programs, initiatives, and even the shrink results of a unit or group of stores. Just a thought, Gus Downing

American Dream Mall, Mall of America, Edmonton Mall Owners
Triple Five to Develop World's Largest Entertainment/Shopping Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia


Quarterly Results

Restaurant Brands International consolidated systemwide sales up 9%
   Tim Horton's comp's down 1.4%, sales flat
   Burger King comp's up 5%, sales up 11%
   Pop Eyes comp's up 10%, sales up 16%

Publix Q3 comp's up 4.3%, sales up 6.3%

Ruth's Hospitality Q3 comp's up 0.6%, sales up 4%

Under Armour Q3 DTC down 1%, wholesales down 2%, total revenue down 1%


Last week's #1 article --

The 2019 Security 500 Rankings
Which security programs are taking the lead? These 500 enterprises have been ranked through metrics to determine the forerunners in 20 sectors.

Retail/Restaurants (Company Name & Security 500 Member)

1. Starbucks Corp. - Garrett Petraia, Vice President, Global Security and Resilience
2. L Brands, Inc. - John Talamo, Senior Vice President, Asset Protection
3. Under Armour, Inc. - Fred Bealefeld, Vice President; Chief Global Security Officer
4. Abercrombie & Fitch - Shane P. Berry, Group Vice President of Asset Protection
5. Brinker International, Inc. - Bill Heine, Chief Security Officer
6. Big Y Foods, Inc. - Mark Gaudette, Director of Loss Prevention
7. Yum! Brands, Inc. - Steven Antoine, Chief Security Officer, Global Assets Protection
8. VF Corp. - Justin Cullinan, Head of Global Security
9. Lululemon Athletica, Inc. - Greg Brumley, Vice President, Asset Protection and Facilities
10. Big Lots!, Inc - Robert LaCommare CFI, VP, Asset Protection & Safety
11. Pappas Restaurants, Inc. - Joe Wojcik, Senior Investigator
12. Ascena Retail Group, Inc. - Eric Pidgeon, VP, Asset Protection
13. Costco Wholesale Corp. - Larry Montague, Director of Security
14. Art Van Furniture, Inc. - Michael F. Case, Senior Director of Loss Prevention
15. Kohl's Corp. - Randy Meadows, Senior Vice President of Loss Prevention
16. The Kroger Co. - Mike Lamb, Vice President of Asset Protection
17. Safeway/Albertsons - Kathleen Smith, Vice President of Asset Protection
18. Things Remembered - James Baumgart, Senior Manager of Loss Prevention
19. AutoZone, Inc. - Patrick Barker, Corporate Security Manager
20. HAC, Inc. - Craig Nelson, Director, Risk Management and Loss Prevention
securitymagazine.com

New: The 2019 Security 500 Methodology
The Security 500 Benchmarking Survey is based on information from several sources.
 

How has your organization’s risk level changed in the past 12 months?
More than half of risk professionals worldwide say their organization’s risk levels have increased in the past 12 months, according to new research from ISACA, CMMI Institute and Infosecurity Group.

The State of Enterprise Risk Management 2020 report reveals that only 29 percent of respondents have a high degree of confidence that their enterprise can accurately predict the impact of threats and vulnerabilities associated with emerging technologies.
Additionally, fewer than a third (31 percent) of security pros say their enterprises can respond quickly when new threats are identified, a problematic dynamic given today’s fast pace of business and technology-driven change.
The top five cybersecurity risk management challenges are changes/advances in technology, changes in types of threats, too few security personnel, missing skills in existing cybersecurity personnel, and increased number and frequency of threats. helpnetsecurity.com

- Risk identification processes commonly adopted, but infrequently optimized
- Global regions face wide spectrum of cybersecurity threats
- Management and governance gap revealed

Q3 Ransomware Detailed Report
Retail in Top 5 Targeted Industries
Ransomware: Average Ransom Payout Increases to $41,000
Sodinokibi and Globelmposter Gangs Target Larger Victims, Coveware Warns

For the third quarter of this year, the average ransom amount paid was $41,198, an increase of 13 percent compared to the second quarter and a nearly six-fold increase from the third quarter of 2018, according to ransomware incident response firm Coveware. The five most-targeted industries in the third quarter were professional services, the public sector, healthcare, software services and retail.

"The rate of increase has plateaued, reflecting resistance to paying by victims who are increasingly finding new ways to restore and recreate data, rather than pay," Coveware says in a new report. "Ryuk continued to make headlines, and other similar Hermes variants like DopplePaymer and I-Encrypt became more prevalent, suggesting that threat actors are rotating through different kits."

Siegel says that one surprise from the research is how much ransomware continues to evolve, with many more groups adapting network intrusion techniques previously used by nation-states' advanced persistent threat groups or only the most advanced cybercrime gangs.

"The year-over-year changes are the most stark," he says. "Ransomware has gone from being an autonomous threat that companies tried to deflect at their perimeter to being a targeted threat where the methods of intrusion and attack are closer to that of APTs than spam campaigns. It puts a lot of pressure on CISOs to have a multilayered approach."

Under the Gun: IT Service Providers

Coveware says the increase in ransomware payments is due to increased ransom demands being made by attackers who wield Ryuk, with the average demand increasing from $267,742 in Q2 to $377,026 in Q3.

Target: Remote Desktop Protocol

Coveware says 51 percent of the intrusions its customers experienced in the third quarter traced to attackers accessing its network stolen remote desktop protocol credentials, which remain easy and inexpensive to procure on cybercrime marketplaces. Another 39 percent of ransomware outbreaks traced to phishing and 8 percent to a software vulnerability exploited by attackers

Bitcoin continues to be the dominant virtual currency being demanded by attackers, with Coveware saying that 99 percent of all payments get made using bitcoins.

Paying a Ransom: Just the Beginning

When organizations do choose to pay their ransomware attackers, there are no guarantees that they'll receive a decryption tool, or that it will work.

Coveware notes, however, that from July to September, 98 percent of the companies it worked with that paid a ransom did receive a working decryption tool, a slight increase from the prior three-month period. It notes that some threat actors are reliable, while others - especially those using Rapid and Dharma ransomware - often default after being paid.

Just because victims receive a decryptor, however, doesn't mean they're getting all of their data back. In the third quarter, "victims who paid for a decryptor successfully decrypted 94 percent of their encrypted data," Coveware says, which was a slight improvement from the second quarter.

Red Flags for Victims

Cybercrime remains a business, and Coveware's Siegel says attackers who don't provide working decryptors are shooting themselves in the foot. That's because ransomware victims are well aware of whether a gang has a history of defaulting on their promises after they've been paid.

"It's a major red flag when we point out a bad track record to a victim, and absolutely impacts the decision to pay or not pay," he says. "That is the essence of why it is important to collect this information. govinfosecurity.com

Ransomware School: The Rise of GandCrab Disciples
Upskilled Hackers Have Moved to Sodinokibi Ransomware-as-a-Service and Beyond

Criminal innovation continues to thrive online, facilitated by the highly specialized cybercrime-as-a-service economy. Ransomware-as-a-service offerings such as Sodinokibi - also known as REvil or Sodin - have made high-quality crypto-locking code available to any attacker who wants to subscribe and share profits.

This industrialization and democratization of RaaS offerings has led to a profound shift in how ransomware attacks get waged.

"The underground community [has reacted] by developing multidimensional structures of criminal alliances, shadow auctions, trusted groups, secretive relationships and partnerships designed to maximize the revenue of the expanding ransomware market," according to a new report released by New York-based cyber intelligence firm Advanced Intelligence, or AdvIntel. "These fragile unions bring together experts from all across the dark web, who join the efforts to attack the most secure and lucrative targets." govinfosecurity.com

Europol Publishes Law Enforcement and Industry Report on Spear Phishing
Today, 4 November 2019, Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) published a strategic report on spear phishing, reflecting the views of both law enforcement and private industry on one of the most prevalent cyber threats currently affecting organisations across the EU. 

Spear phishing describes the practice of targeting specific individuals within an organisation or business for the purposes of distributing malware or extracting sensitive information. As reflected in this year’s Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA), spear phishing is the number one attack vector and enabler for the vast majority of cybercrimes. 

The report is the result of a two-day meeting with the European Cybercrime Centre’s 70 key industry partners from internet security, telecommunications and financial services. The Joint Advisory Group Meeting, which took place on 26 - 27 March 2019, gathered representatives from industry and law enforcement at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague to discuss what can be done to help mitigate this type of crime.

The report highlights the role of spear phishing as the main attack vector for cybercriminals and  contains the definition of the main modi operandi that criminals use to deceive the target (among others, emails coming from trusted accounts, malicious attachments or links to fraudulent websites). Moreover, the document collects conclusions and recommendations for organisations on how to effectively combat this threat on a technical, educational, as well as operational level –enforcing security policies, implementing artificial intelligence and a raising public awareness on the topic. europol.europa.eu

Download the report here

What to Know about PCIP Requalification
PCI Professional (PCIP) Qualification
The Payment Card Industry Professional (PCIP) is an individual, entry-level qualification in payment security information and provides you with the tools to help your organization build a secure payment environment. Becoming a PCIP demonstrates a level of understanding that can provide a strong foundation for a career in the payments security industry.

Support your organization’s or client’s ongoing security and compliance efforts through your knowledge of how to apply PCI Standards.

The PCIP certification must be renewed every three years. Requalification questions about the how and what often come in when someone has missed their requalification date. The month of October shows nearly 100 PCIPs who must requalify. We thought this would be a great time to remind everyone how the process works and exactly what must be done when to ensure a smooth requalification. pcisecuritystandards.org

Editor's Note: Great certification for a team member in 2020. Just a thought

Senior Job: Director, Enterprise Security posted for U.S. Cellular in Chicago, IL

Locking down the datacentre: A security checklist for IT administrators

The Leader in Crime Prevention Systems

Captis Intelligence is a global industry leader and pioneer in i4 technology – Combining a powerful yet scalable platform that provides industry-first solutions to the asset protection, financial, security, law enforcement, and KYC (Know Your Customer) markets. Kirk Brown, Vice President of Business Development for Captis Intelligence, explains how their I-4 platform (Information, Intelligence, Investigation, and Identification) helps solve some of Loss Prevention’s most challenging problems.
 

Gilbert, AZ: Arizona couple busted in $2.7 million stolen beauty products operation
An Arizona couple was arrested for allegedly operating an interstate stolen goods operation that took in more than $2.7 million from online sales. Gilbert police Sgt. Mark Marino said 42-year-old Zach Robbins and his wife, 47-year-old Jie Robbins, were arrested after a search warrant was served at their home near Higley and Warner roads. Their arrest came after a three-month investigation. Detectives said they found around $500,000 to $750,000 worth of stolen over-the-counter health and beauty products inside the home. Police believe the married couple had been conducting interstate sales of stolen property for more than four years. Investigators also believe that the pair would pay others to shoplift items from local stores. Marino said the couple would then resell the merchandise through eBay and Amazon storefronts. The two were booked on charges of trafficking stolen property, money laundering, and illegal control of an enterprise. fox6now.com

Detroit, MI: Michigan State Police seized over $300K in goods stolen from big box retail stores
MNET Investigation: Over the past eight months the Metro Narcotics Enforcement Team (MNET) has been investigating a business owner engaged in organized retail crime that spans the Metro Detroit Area. Detectives with the state police and other law enforcement agencies began about eight months ago investigating a business owner they say was selling the stolen items. The business owner is accused of recruiting people to steal merchandise from retailers that he would resell at a profit or for his own personal use, officials said. Police said an undercover detective infiltrated the operation and sold the suspect more than $6,000 worth of stolen property. After multiple undercover operations and hours of surveillance, authorities said, police executed search warrants at the suspect's business and at his home. Troopers and officers seized $300,000 and $15,000 in fraudulently purchased merchandise. detroitnews.com

St George, UT: 2 men face felonies after stealing computers from business, trying to resell to chain store
A monthlong investigation by a Washington City Police detective led to the arrest of two men suspected in a business burglary where police allege that equipment, furniture and mail valued at nearly $10,000 was stolen. The two men – Jonathan McAlister and Matthew Anastacio, were arrested Wednesday. They appeared in 5th District Court on multiple charges Thursday. Both men face one count of second-degree felony theft and one third-degree felony count of burglary, along with one misdemeanor charge for mail theft. The charges stem from an incident reported Oct. 1 when officers responded to a burglary in Washington City where they learned that several computers, equipment and a box of U.S. mail had been taken. Surveillance footage showed two suspects entering the business by forcing entry into a side door. The suspects then pulled a black BMW X-3 into the garage and loaded the car with boxes of computer equipment and mail before driving off. Those stolen items were later matched to information provided by a big-box retail store in Washington City reporting that two men matching the description of the suspects involved in the burglary attempted to sell the equipment to the store. stgeorgeutah.com

Fairview Heights, IL: Metro East suspect pretends to sneeze to steal 71-year-old's wallet, buys $2,000 worth of gift cards
Metro East Police are searching for a robbery duo who pick-pocketed a man's wallet at a Bob Evans restaurant late October. Police said a 71-year-old Belleville man had finished eating breakfast at a Bob Evans on Ludwig Drive around 10:30 a.m. when he paid for his meal and began to leave. Surveillance video shows a man watching the 71-year-old from the corner of the restaurant. He is seen exiting the entryway in front of the victim. Police said one of the suspects allegedly sneezed, which stopped the victim from moving forward. As the pair was stopped in the entrance, another male suspect bumped into the victim from behind. Fifteen minutes later, the victim got an email that one of his credit cards was used at a CVS in Swansea and then noticed his wallet was missing. Investigators said the suspects were able to purchase several gift cards that cost up to $2,000. The victim's stolen wallet also had cash inside. kmov.com

Merced, CA: Apple products stolen during Burglary at Target
Merced Police are investigating burglary at Target in Merced. According to Sgt. Emily Foster, authorities responded to the Target store located at 3280 R Street, for a report of a burglary at about 7:14 p.m. Saturday. Foster said described the thieves as three adult black males. They stole Apple products from the store before fleeing the scene, according to police. The total value of the items stolen remained unclear Sunday. mercedsunstar.com