Gift card theft bust earns Volusia sheriff's investigator state award
Volusia sheriff's investigator Jayson Paul got a gift card racketeering case in April 2015 and thought it would be another case file to add to the pile that greeted him at work every day.

He didn't immediately know that it would be the largest retail theft investigation, dubbed Operation Plastic Paradise, his agency has worked. Seven months later, the 39-year-old Paul led a team of 40 deputies on morning raids arresting 23 people, serving five search warrants and six bank seizure warrants. Paul and his team toppled a father and son gift card theft ring that made $2 million in nine months.

Paul's work caught the attention of the Florida Retail Federation. The organization chose Paul as its 2016 Florida Retail Federation Law Enforcement Officer of the Year and will present him with the award and a $3,000 cash prize later this month. This is Paul's second prize from Operation Plastic Paradise: It also earned him the Sheriff's Office 2015 Investigator of the Year Award. news-journalonline.com

Noblesville, IN: 3 arrested, 1 at large after Best Buy Burglary
Three Detroit men were taken into custody and a fourth person is on the loose after Noblesville police say they burglarized a Best Buy store. Police were called to Best Buy at 17200 Mercantile Boulevard around 3:15 a.m. in response to a security alarm. Upon arrival, officers reported hearing voices around the building. As they were investigating, a vehicle sped away with no lights on. After a five-minute police pursuit, the suspects' vehicle crashed near the intersection of Greenfield Avenue and Boden Road. Four men ran from the crashed vehicle. With the help of a K-9 unit, officers tracked down three of the men. As of Sunday evening, a fourth suspect remained at large. wishtv.com


Hopkins, MN: Police Investigating String Of Twin Cities Bike Shop Thefts
Police are on the lookout for thieves who have broken into at least four bike shops in the Twin Cities in the last couple of weeks. The most recent theft happened Saturday morning at Jonny Rock Bikes on Excelsior Boulevard in Hopkins. Minks says about $10,000 worth of merchandise was stolen from his bike shop after thieves disabled his security system. minnesota.cbslocal.com


Delaware Troopers seek alleged shoplifter from Justice store in Concord Mall
Wilmington woman who allegedly shoplifted clothes from a Concord Mall store is still at large. Someone saw Lisa Smith take 300 dollars' worth of clothing from the Justice Store Saturday night, Delaware State Police said. A trooper working in the mall arrived just in time to see Smith running out of the store--he gave chase, ordering her to stop, but Smith got into a black Infiniti FX3 and drove away, narrowly missing the trooper as he tried to open the vehicle's doors. Warrants are out charging Smith with shoplifting, resisting arrest and reckless endangering. wdel.com

Thieves wanted in allergy-med heists at 3 Staten Island CVS stores
Police are searching Monday for two individuals linked to a shoplifting pattern in Staten Island. The pair stole a large amount of over-the-counter allergy and cold medications from three CVS locations on three separate occasions, police said. The first CVS the pair stole from on May 22 is located at 778A Manor Road near the Castleton Corners section of Staten Island. The second CVS is located at 1361 Hylan Blvd. in the Dongan Hills neighborhood. The pair stole from this location on June 7. The last CVS the pair hit on June 28 is located at 250 Page Ave. in the Tottenville section of Staten Island. pix11.com

Louisville, KY: Three busted for $1,100 Lawn Mower theft from Lowes