Organized Multi-State Gangs- 'crash-and-grab' burglaries using vehicles plague Chicago and other cities around the country  Chicago's upscale Magnificent Mile is part of a rash of burglaries in the last few months that has thieves in several states abandoning the silent cunning of a cat burglar for the brute force of a motor vehicle and a gas pedal. The Chicago area has seen nearly a dozen such burglaries since the fall. Cook County Assistant State's Atty. David Williams, executive director of the Cook County Regional Organized Crime Task Force, says he believes the "crash-and-grab" burglaries in the region are the work of organized groups, including thieves and gangs that operate across state lines. They have to steal a car, get a group together, pick a target, decide what to steal and then they have to sell it," Williams said. "It is more than a crime of opportunity." Late last month, burglars smashed through the storefronts of two Cincinnati clothing stores. In the St. Louis area, thieves drove vehicles into jewelry stores as well as beauty supply stores that sell pricey and popular hair extensions. Gun stores in Indianapolis and a string of businesses around Jacksonville, Fla., also have been hit recently in similar style. As department stores and smaller boutiques tally their losses from a spate of brazen crash-and-grab burglaries, experts on crime and retailers are wondering why the tactic has suddenly become so common across the Chicago region. This is not a new phenomenon," said Richard Hollinger, a professor of criminology at the University of Florida who specializes in retail crime. "But this is kind of remarkable. It's a new wrinkle to the holiday season. It's a blast from the past." latimes.com

ORC female gang of nine - Taking Your Facebook orders in the Twin Cities - $35,000  Police say a theft ring used Facebook to take "orders" and would then fulfill the requests by stealing high-end merchandise from big-box stores in the Twin Cities area. Nine women are facing felony charges in connection with thefts in five counties. Criminal complaints say the shoplifters involved in the ring stole about $35,000 in merchandise between September 2012 and June 2014. Authorities say the team of thieves reportedly built a client list by word of mouth. In a criminal complaint, Coombs told investigators she stole on a daily basis, racking up $30,000 in profit. Altogether, the women face 20 felony charges. Police say Jefferson even used a credit card stolen from an FBI agent's car. She was later arrested in California. kstp.com

Shoplifting ring targets Richmond stores
A shoplifting ring has targeted Richmond stores for over two years, according to a detective with the Richmond Police Department. Thieves steal easily marketable goods to fuel drug abuse, particularly heroin addiction, the detective said. "What we have seen – and what our counterparts in Chesterfield and at the Macomb County Sheriff's Department have seen – is a loose ring of individuals shoplifting certain high-priced items like Enfamil baby formula, Red Bull and Crest White Strips, and then either taking these directly to the drug house and trading them for drugs or selling them back-door to another store for cash to buy drugs," said Det. Julia Frantz. Frantz said jurisdictions across Macomb County are experiencing the cases, but stores in Warren, Chesterfield, St. Clair Shores and Port Huron have been particularly impacted. voicenews.com

Fencing Operation: Pulaski County, KY convenience stores accused of selling items stolen from big retailers  Five Pulaski County convenience stores sold items stolen from major retailers, including Kroger and Kmart, according to grand jury indictments. People associated with the convenience stores encouraged shoplifters to bring them stolen items to re-sell, the indictments said. Ten people with ties to five stores are charged with engaging in organized retail crime. At one convenience store, police found items with labels from Kroger, CVS, Dollar General and Kmart, according to an inventory in the court file. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney David L. Dalton said authorities haven't calculated the value of the merchandise that was allegedly stolen, but that it was a considerable amount. The investigation is continuing, Dalton said. The 10 charged so far were owners or managers of the stores, said Larry Patterson, a Somerset police detective who investigated. Some of the defendants also are charged with soliciting people to steal items, buying beer from unauthorized people or committing fraud involving electronic food-stamp cards. Patterson said in search-warrant affidavits that during the past two years, local police received several complaints from retailers that smaller convenience stores were buying stolen items to re-sell. Police used undercover informants to take items to convenience stores and represent them as stolen goods to see whether the stores would buy them. Employees at five stores bought Pepsi and Coke products and beer they thought were stolen, Patterson said. In some cases, store employees gave the suspected shoplifters a list of items they wanted them to acquire and bring to them to re-sell, according to Patterson's affidavit. kentucky.com


Cherry Hill, NJ Mall shoplifters blamed for $7200 loss  Four men allegedly fled a Cherry Hill Mall store with more than $7,200 in merchandise, police say. The suspects struck the Nordstrom store shortly before 9:30 p.m. Monday, according to Cherry Hill police. Surveillance photos show the men walking through the upscale store, with the suspects' arms filled with clothing. "The same group is responsible for a theft of approximately 24 Michael Kors watches at Nordstrom in the Christiana Mall (in Delaware)," police said. courierpostonline.com

My Scrub Store Employee Arrested In Theft Of Dishwasher, Stove
The sole employee of a Rogers, AR store that sells medical scrubs was arrested Wednesday night after police say he stole a stove and dishwasher. Leslie Michael McGhee, 44, was arrested on suspicion of commercial burglary and theft of property. 5newsonline.com

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