Romanian gang member caught shoplifting twice after being in UK for just three days  Sent over specifically to shoplift and he won't be deported due to strict lows on removing EU citizens. Scotland Yard recently claimed it had identified a trend in which eastern Europeans were being trafficked into the UK and forced to carry out upmarket shoplifting before returning home on budget airline flights. The gangs accept a 20 per cent arrest rate as the cost of a 'weekend trafficking' operation that can secure items worth up to 100,000 pounds that are taken out of the country for resale.  dailymail.co.uk

Former Nordstrom employee arrested in $143,000 credit fraud investigation at Mall of America - accomplice owns boutique store  The suspect is the second person arrested during the investigation, although charges have yet to be filed in the case stemming from last summer. The Savage man, a former employee of the Mall of America Nordstrom store, is suspected of approving multiple purchases for a 32-year-old Minneapolis woman, despite her new store account having a credit limit of $1,000, according to Bloomington Deputy Chief Mike Hartley. The Minneapolis woman, who operates a boutique store in Savage, had opened up an account with a $1,000 credit limit, yet proceeded to purchase a variety of merchandise over several days, including a jewelry piece valued at more than $26,000, and other high-end merchandise, such as purses ranging in value from $1,000 to $4,000. The purchases were made in late July and early August, and the Savage man, despite the limit on the woman's account, processed all of the transactions.  mnsun.com

Fresno, CA Police Try To Keep Career Criminal Behind Bars; Prop 47 making it difficult  Prop. 47 allows police to ticket someone and not send them to jail if they steal things that are worth less than $950 dollars. Police say the new law is causing problems, because thieves are aware that if they steal lower priced items, they won't get arrested. The Fresno Police Department is asking that a career criminal caught on camera stealing from the same store multiple times face felony charges. Investigators say they know Emilio Mancia well. Employees at a Southeast Fresno Walmart also know Mancia. Surveillance cameras show Mancia trying to steal clothes from Walmart a few weeks ago. After getting caught, officers say Mancia steals two computers instead. Less than a month later he was caught on camera walking out of Walmart with a back-pack filled with clothing and a television. The next day cameras capture him stealing a lawn mower. However, police say there's nothing they can do to stop Mancia. Each time he stole from Walmart the amount was less than $950-dollars. "In this case we feel that this is a continuous theft where this person has targeted Walmart and come in and stolen merchandise," says Fresno Police Sgt. Mark Hudson, "This is kind of unusual because he is seen on video surveillance." Police say surveillance cameras at a home in Fresno County show Mancia with the stolen T.V. Video shows Mancia selling the television to a man. There are also pictures of Mancia attempting to sell the lawn mower. Even then police say their hands are tied. Mancia was eventually arrested after trying to steal shoes from a store. When security confronted Mancia he started to fight with them. To keep Mancia off the streets, police say they're going back to the Walmart cases. Investigators are combining all three since they happened at the same store. The hope is the district attorney will press serious charges against Mancia since the combined total of all three thefts is over the Prop. 47 limit. kmph.com



Apopka, FL mother and son arrested in $100,000 toothbrush theft ring  A mother and son from Apopka are the suspected ringleaders of a bizarre statewide theft ring. Investigators said Clint and Mary Curtiss led the group that stole more than $100,000 worth of toothbrushes in the past year. But investigators believe the operation may be much larger, and the group actually started in 2011. Another Apopka woman, Laura Torres, is also facing charges in the case. wftv.com


Louis Vuitton thief in Portland, OR claims she is 'addicted to stealing like someone is addicted to crack'  A woman accused of stealing multiple wallets over several months from the Louis Vuitton store in downtown Portland told police she is "addicted to stealing just like someone is addicted to crack," according to court documents. Sharajae Huff, 21, was arrested at Pioneer Square Mall on Monday. A Louis Vuitton employee called police after recognizing the woman in the store. According to court documents, the employee believed she had been responsible for numerous recent thefts from the business. An officer contacted Huff and showed her surveillance images dating back to Nov. 18, 2014. Court documents state Huff admitted that she was in the store on that date and stole wallets. The value of the items stolen was $2,790. A detective then asked Huff about another theft case on Jan. 19. Court documents state she admitted stealing a $715 wallet on that day from Louis Vuitton. She also admitted stealing a $905 wallet from the store on March 9. Surveillance images showed her stuffing the wallet up her shirt. Her family says they are saddened by her arrest, and knew nothing about her stealing. kptv.com


ORC suspect being sought by Kingsport, TN Police in $2,500 theft from Belk  The Kingsport Police Department needs your help finding a woman who attempted to steal more than $1500 in clothing from Belk at Fort Henry Mall on January 14. Loss Prevention officers say they recovered the merchandise, but the woman ran away in what is believed to be a silver Ford Focus compact 4-door sedan. Investigators also say the car was driven by another person, who has yet to be identified. Police believe the same woman shoplifted items from Belk on two previous occasions - exceeding $1,000 in merchandise. wjhl.com

Home Depot robbery suspect arrested in Danville, CA; injured a Loss Prevention agent  Danville police have made an arrest connected to the Home Depot robbery in Pleasanton earlier this month, nabbing Steven Proctor, 21, who is accused of driving the getaway car that struck a Home Depot loss prevention agent. The Home Depot security officer was run down by the car as he tried to detain the woman, later identified as 25-year-old Ainslee Smith who had just stolen several power tools, according to police. Home Depot's Regional Loss Prevention office, which was also investigating the robbery, provided information of a similar crime that was committed at a the Home Depot earlier in Vacaville, identifying Smith and Proctor as suspects in that robbery. pleasantonweekly.com

Three charged in $300 baby formula theft from Walgreens in Glen Carbon, IL