Woman charged with robbery, theft; Uses stun gun to escape

An Indiana woman was charged Tuesday in Allen Superior Court after she allegedly took items from Kohl’s and used a stun gun to get away, according to court documents. Tyresha S. Thomas, 30, was charged with robbery, a Level 3 felony, and theft, a Level 6 felony. Thomas allegedly entered a Kohl’s Department Store shortly after 3:30 p.m. July 26 and left with items, according to a probable-cause affidavit. The loss prevention associate attempted to stop Thomas, who then allegedly displayed a stun gun and continued to flee to the parking lot, where another loss prevention associate attempted to stop Thomas.

When Thomas allegedly discharged the stun gun, the officer backed off, allowing Thomas to get into a maroon Nissan and leave the scene, the affidavit said. Police later saw a maroon Nissan weave in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed at the 112 mile marker of Interstate 69. Police conducted a traffic stop, where one of the loss prevention officers positively identified Thomas, who allegedly had $1,846.96 worth of Kohl’s merchandise in the vehicle, the affidavit said.  [For more: News-Sentinel]

Fourteen arrested in 4 days for shoplifting in Overland Park, police blame websites

The Organized Retail Crimes Unit with the Overland Park police department are focusing more efforts online. Those efforts include shoplifting websites where thieves tell other thieves where and how to steal. The popular website Reddit has a thread about shoplifting and even a post titled, “How to lift from Walmart,” for example. Detective Sergeant Allan Keith says they’re seeing a decrease in armed robberies but an increase in retail thefts because shoplifting is lucrative. “On these websites, people will talk about shop lifting and boosting. And they will give tips to others. They will talk about their haul as they call it. Almost like a competition,” said Keith. The most recent arrest at an Overland Park area strip mall is one of 593 shoplifting events reported in Overland Park this year. Detective Keith says the hot items are designer clothes and designer handbags and many of the shoplifters work in teams. One person distracts the sales associate as the other steals merchandise.  [For more: KSHB41 News

Cosmetics theft ring nabs $70K from CVS & Walgreen

A gang of makeup thieves is responsible for ripping off several drug stores of thousands of dollars in products around the Miami area, according to authorities. An investigation by Miami-Dade Police’s Organized Retail Crime Unit led to the arrests of four women, believed to part of a ring who would steal cosmetics from stores and sell them at far below retail cost. On numerous occasions between April and July, sisters Crystal Pereda, 27, and Jazmin Pereda, 21, along with Jennifer Tejeda, 33, were observed walking into CVS and Walgreens stores in Miami and stuffing cosmetics into their purses, police said. Typically, each theft would range between $300 and $1,100 worth of stuff taken. They were seen driving in a black Chrysler 300. During the course of the investigation, detectives also obtained a search warrant at the home of Ihosvania Guerra-Ferreiro, 50, located at 2800 S.W. 79th Court, whom they said acted as a “fencing operation” for the stolen products.

On August 1st, officers executed the search warrant and found 6,982 cosmetic items, valued at $69,368.63, inside the home. “They go and sell to the lady fencing these items, purchasing them at $1 and $2 apiece,” said Sgt. Carlos Rosario. “These items were low-risk and not expensive, selling for $5.99 to $12.99 so they were not tagged with sensors and can be easily put in purses.” A purchase was being made at the time between Guerra-Ferreiro and another woman who was buying lipstick for $2, an arrest report said. Guerra-Ferreiro confessed to charging roughly $1 or $2 for many of the products, a large mark-down. She was charged with dealing in stolen property. The other three women were subsequently arrested and charged with multiple counts of grand theft. The Pereda sisters confessed in both verbal and written statements, police said. Tejeda invoked her Miranda rights. Police added this kind of theft creates a snowball effect. “This is very unfortunate for the local economy,” said Sgt. Rosario. “People are going to stores and loading their bags with goods. What this does is inflate prices at the stores for goods, in this case cosmetics.”  [For more: CBS Miami]

Employee charged with fraud in $280K warranty refund scheme

A former Spectrum Brands customer service representative was indicted Wednesday after federal prosecutors said he took nearly $281,000 in company funds by submitting false warranty claims, some of them in the names of friends, family and participants in a beauty pageant organization that he founded. Shonn Northam, 46, of Briggsville, was charged in a 24-count indictment, filed in U.S. District Court in Madison, with mail and wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft for the scheme, which prosecutors said took place between February 2013 and November 2014. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Northam faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the six mail fraud, five wire fraud and five money-laundering counts. He also faces a mandatory minimum two years in prison on each of the eight identity theft charges, which would be served consecutively to any other sentence he receives. The loss to Spectrum was about $280,644, prosecutors said. According to the indictment, Northam was a customer service representative in Middleton-based Spectrum’s small appliance division, where he was responsible for evaluating warranty claims for defective products.

As part of the warranty scheme, Northam filled in false information on Spectrum forms, purportedly on behalf of customers reporting defective items, which he forwarded to his supervisor for approval and for the issuance of checks to qualifying customers. In some cases, Northam changed the spelling of the customers’ names when seeking multiple payments to the same purported customer in order to bypass Spectrum’s internal controls for catching fraudulent claims. When asked why he had checks sent to him, instead of directly to customers, Northam told his supervisor that he could get the checks out to customers faster.  [For more: State-Journal]

Four suspects accused of stealing over $3,000 worth of merchandise

Four suspects, including one juvenile, are facing charges after allegedly stealing over $3,600 worth of merchandise from Macy’s. Fairview Heights officers were called to the Macy’s in St. Clair Square mall on Saturday around 4 pm where the store’s loss prevention associates attempted to stop three suspects.  According to reports, the suspects stole an assortment of clothing items and the store’s security was at first able to stop one of the three suspects. Once the suspects saw that one of the suspects had been detained by loss prevention associates, the two suspects returned along with a fourth suspect, a woman, and began to fight with the associates. One of the LP associates was punched and scratched by the woman as the other suspects freed the suspect who had been captured, said police.

Fairview Heights Police arrived in the area and attempted to stop the van, but were not able to catch up to the suspects until the van hit traffic. Officers approached the van at the intersection of North Illinois at the main mall entrance and were able to disable the van so the suspects were not able to flee back to Missouri. All four suspects including Danny R. Julian, Randy Robinson, Aletha D. Smooths, and a juvenile were taken into custody. Police recovered approximately $3,600 in merchandise from the vehicle while taking the suspects into custody. On Monday, the St. Clair County State Attorney’s office issued charges for each suspect including: Danny Julian, 37; Randy Robinson, 31, and Alethea Simmons, 36. The fourth suspect, a 12-year-old juvenile has been referred to a juvenile court for charges. The Macy’s security officer received scratches and bruises from being punched by one of the suspects but did not require medical treatment.  [For more: KMOV41 News]

Uniqlo to sell clothing via vending machines

After a US store expansion that fizzled a few years ago, fashion retailer Uniqlo is trying something new: selling its wares from vending machines. The hip Japanese clothing chain owned by Fast Retailing known for trendy yet inexpensive down coats, jeans, and t-shirts with heating technology, is rolling out 10 vending machines in the next two months at airports and malls in several key US cities including New York and Houston, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The Journal reported that the six-feet-high vending machines will a limited assortment, largely heat-retaining shirts and lightweight down jackets and items will be dispensed in boxes and cans and customers can return them at a store or by mail.  The move comes two years after the retailer scaled back its ambitious US expansion plan as sales fell short and the company recognized that awareness of the brand was wanting outside of a few large markets. (Uniqlo, which has about 45 US stores, at one point hinted it could reach 200 by 2020.) The retailer is instead focusing on tools such as pop-up stores and vending machines and focusing its big retail presence on flagship stores in places like New York’s SoHo district.

As Marisol Tamaro, Uniqlo’s US marketing chief, told the Journal, vending machines are relatively cheap to operate compared to a store and can reach a lot of travelers. Fortune did not reach Uniqlo for comment. Globally, the travel retail market is expected to grow more than 8% per year through 2021, according to a Global Duty-Free Retailing Market 2017-2021. And the US Department of Commerce projects the US will see a 3.3% annual increase in international visitor volume through that year. These stats, which don’t include domestic travel, are a key reason many retailers have built up more of a presence at airports. Such vending machines are fixtures at countless airports for retailers like Best Buy which offers items like noise-canceling headphones and electronics that help pass the time. But such purchases are practical and don’t require being felt like clothes often do to persuade a customer. And there is no personal interaction, something critical in selling fashion. Still, they offer the chance for incremental sales and also can serve as effective advertising.  [For more: Fortune]

The post Breaking News in the Industry: August 4, 2017 appeared first on LPM.

Suspect in $230,000 rug store theft enters plea

A 55-year-old Oakland, California, man charged in connection with the theft of nearly a quarter million dollars worth of rugs from a Burlingame store has pleaded not guilty, according to prosecutors. John Reed is charged with grand theft and possession of stolen property, both felonies, and misdemeanor possession of a burglary tool. He entered his plea Thursday in San Mateo County Superior Court. Because of a previous strike conviction for residential burglary, Reed could be sentenced to 18 years in prison if found guilty, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. On Sunday, Heriz Rugs in Burlingame was burglarized and 16 rugs worth $230,184 were stolen, according to prosecutors.

The owner discovered the theft Monday. Prosecutors said Reed met with a former rug store owner in San Francisco on Tuesday and sold her two rugs out of his car for $850. The former rug store owner then received a call from the owner of Heriz Rugs telling her to watch out for the stolen rugs. Suspicious of Reed, they contacted Burlingame police. On Wednesday, police found Reed with eight rugs and a pry bar in his car, according to prosecutors. One of the rugs, an 11-foot-by-19-foot Iranian Sarouk, was worth $78,000, Wagstaffe said. Wagstaffe said Reed’s criminal history stretches back to 1981. At the time of his most recent arrest, he was on post-release community supervision for a 2012 commercial burglary conviction. Reed, who remains in custody in lieu of $85,000 bail, is scheduled to return to court Aug. 16 for a preliminary hearing.  [For more: The Mercury News]

Employee arrested on theft charge

A former Trussville, Alabama, Sam’s Club employee has been arrested on July 26 for allegedly taking more than $14,000 in cellphones between May 7 and June 20. Brittany Nicole Dailey, 27, of Irondale, has been charged with first-degree theft of property after an internal investigation by Sam’s Club, authorities said. Dailey is suspected of taking an Apple iPhone 7 and 14 Apple iPhone 7 Plus units worth approximately $14,726, according to the police report. Dailey has since bonded out of the Jefferson County Jail.  [For more: WVTM News]

Woman wanted after stealing hundreds of dollars in makeup

Authorities are on the hunt for a woman who stole hundreds of dollars in makeup from a metro store. Oklahoma City police report that on July 11 a pregnant woman in her mid to late 20s entered Nordstrom Rack, and began shopping in the makeup aisle. A loss prevention associate told police he observed the woman begin putting makeup into her purse. At one point, the woman steps behind a clothes rack to use pliers she brought to the store to pull the sensor off of a pair of shoes. An alarm was triggered when the woman cut the sensor and she then tried to leave the store. While outside, she was approached by the loss prevention officer. The officer didn’t want to struggle with the woman, because she was pregnant, and she was able to flee the store. Before fleeing, the woman dropped her purse, the pliers and the stolen items. The woman then jumped in a gray Honda Pilot that was waiting for her and fled the scene. Just 15 minutes after police posted the woman’s photo to social media she was identified. Anyone with information on the woman is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 405-235-7300.  [For more: Fox25 News]

Suspect sought in theft of lottery tickets

Authorities in Lincoln County, North Carolina, are looking for a man they said led deputies on a chase after stealing lottery tickets from two convenience stores last week. On Tuesday, around 5:30 a.m. deputies were called to Sam’s Mart in Denver after the clerk reported that a man came into the store and stole several lottery tickets. About three hours later, deputies were alerted to another incident, this time at the Denver Mart. A worker there told authorities that a man matching the description of the thief in the first incident came into the store and stole about 45 lottery tickets while the clerk was distracted.

After reviewing surveillance video at each store, detectives were able to identify the man as 32-year-old Marcus Holloway, of Statesville. The next day, Holloway came back to the Denver Mart. Deputies spotted him and tried to stop his car on Business Highway 16 but stop chasing him because the traffic was so heavy. Deputies later discovered the vehicle abandoned on Glen Crest Drive in Denver. Once arrested, Holloway will be charged with obtaining property by false pretenses in Lincoln County and also has a number of outstanding warrants in surrounding counties. Anyone with information about Holloway’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at 704-732-9050, the Lincoln County Communications Center at 704-735-8202 or the nearest law enforcement agency.  [For more: WSOCTV9 News]

Shoplifting suspect struck vehicle in car crash

An armed shoplifting suspect driving away from an East Anchorage, Alaska, grocery store Saturday hit another vehicle according to Anchorage police, while being pursued by officers near Merrill Field. No injuries were reported in the collision, police spokesman MJ Thim said. The chain of events leading to the crash began at about 3 p.m. at the Carrs Safeway store in the Northway Mall,  Thim said, where a suspect who had a gun but didn’t fire it had taken goods from the store. Responding officers followed the suspect’s vehicle south and west as it left the mall, then got onto 15th. “The suspect ended up hitting a civilian vehicle at Sitka and 15th,” Thim said. “That’s where we took the person into custody, as well as another person within the vehicle.”  The names of those taken into custody at the crash site weren’t immediately available Saturday afternoon.  [For more: KTVA11 News]

Thefts of cognac, other hard liquor has troubled retailer

It’s summer time, party time and liquor store thieves are out in full force. In recent weeks, the Meijer supermarket in Homer Glen, Illinois, has been the victim of repeated thievery. The large retail store was sacked by liquor thieves around July 16, July 17, July 21 and July 22, Will County Sheriff’s reports reflect.In all of the cases, by the time Meijer’s loss prevention associates discovered the crimes, the thieves had made off with a stash of stolen alcohol. Will County is now investigating the retail thefts.

On July 20, a loss prevention associate reviewing video surveillance realized that a man and a woman had entered the Meijer’s store in Homer Glen with a tote bag on July 16 and July 17, stealing several bottles of alcohol from the liquor department. On July 16, the couple stole 14 bottles of Cognac. The next day, they stole four bottles of Tequila and one bottle of vodka, police reports state. On July 21, a loss prevention associate reviewing store surveillance noticed a man loading his shopping cart at Meijer’s with four boxes of Remy Martin XO Cognac and two boxes of Hennessy XO Cognac. Moments later, as the man walked away from his cart, a woman retrieved it and left the store with the stolen liquor. On July 22, Meijer’s loss prevention associates discovered two men and a woman had walked into the liquor department putting several bottles of liquor into their shopping cart and a tote bag. The three then left the Meijer’s without paying for liquor. In sum, the thieves stole four bottles of Tequila and six bottles of Cognac, police reports show. It remains to be seen if the recent wave of liquor bandits will be caught. In June, Meijer loss prevention associates nabbed three Chicago men who were stealing about $1,600 in groceries from the Homer Glen store.  [For more: Joliet Patch]

The retail apocalypse is heading straight for grocery stores

Department stores and many mall-based retailers are closing thousands of stores after years of over-expansion. Now the grocery industry appears to be heading toward a similar fate. Like mall-based retailers did in the 1990s, supermarkets have been expanding rapidly across the US in recent years. “Over the past 10 years, we saw high growth from some of the more traditional players, which has resulted in saturation in the US, and forced mainstream supermarkets to slow openings,” Danielle Dolinsky, an analyst at retail consulting firm Planet Retail RNG, told Business Insider. For some companies, however, the pace of growth is only accelerating. Discount grocers including Aldi, Lidl, and Dollar General are collectively planning to open thousands of new stores over the next couple years. At the same time, tech companies like Amazon, with its recent acquisition of Whole Foods, are also entering the food wars. Competition is ramping up at a time when the amount of retail space devoted to food sales in the US has already hit a record high. The US has 4.15 square feet of retail food space per person, which is nearly 30 times higher than in 1950, according to CoStar Group data cited by the Wall Street Journal.

But demand hasn’t kept up with unit growth.  Total US grocery sales fell nearly 2% in the 12-week period ending July 15, compared to last year, according to Nielsen data. Grocery stores have been slashing prices to drive sales and better compete, which is driving profits lower in a business that’s already pressured by razor-thin margins. The Dollar General store in Roebuck, South Carolina dropped prices by 10% to 30% in response to Lidl entering the market, analysts said. Food Lion has also cut prices in markets where it competes directly with Lidl. The company sent executives to Lidl’s stores in other countries ahead of its US launch to better understand the concept. The supermarkets that survive and thrive over the next decade will have to find ways to shave operating costs, primarily through the use of smart technology that strengthens inventory management and robots that improve the customer experience, and funnel those savings into ongoing price cuts. Companies like Kroger and Walmart are already investing in these technologies. But many others are “unwilling, or unable, to engage,” Goldman Sachs analysts wrote in a research note published Wednesday. It’s not yet clear who the winners will be as the grocery wars shake out, but there’s little doubt that consumers will benefit as chains are forced to continue dropping prices and offer more convenient shopping services to compete.  [For more: Business Insider]

The post Breaking News in the Industry: August 7, 2017 appeared first on LPM.

Armed robber shot by police identified

Anchorage, Alaska, police have named the man who was shot and killed by officers following an armed robbery at a Home Depot store. In a Wednesday afternoon release from the Anchorage Police Department, the man was identified as 23-year-old Benjamin Zekovic. He was shot during an altercation with police behind the East Anchorage Home Depot store Tuesday evening, according to APD. Zekovic was transported to a local hospital in critical condition, where he later died. The two officers involved in the shooting have been placed on a mandatory four-day administrative leave. Their names will be released following the required absence. Zekovic’s next of kin have been notified. The incident and fatal shooting remain under investigation.  [For more: KTVA11 News]

Shoplifting confrontation caught on camera [Video]

Ardmore, Oklahoma, police are looking for a suspected shoplifter who allegedly had her 8-year-old daughter steal for her. When she was confronted, the suspect left her children and mother behind, hitting a store owner with her car as she drove off. The whole thing is caught on camera.   A cashier at Bargain Lady Clothing said she spotted little girl stealing clothes on Saturday at the direction of her mother.

“She should’ve already been arrested,” Business Owner Mary Littleton said. “And there is been no response whatsoever. We are not happy with this.” The suspect’s mother  said she hasn’t seen her daughter since the incident. The woman has a criminal history that includes theft.  “It wasn’t even the shoplifting,” Littleton said. “It was the point that she was using her daughter to shoplift. She was teaching a minor how to be a thief.” Littleton and her staff said they don’t necessarily want the woman to go to jail. They just want to see her get help, and make sure the children are safe. “I just saw the fear in their eyes,” cashier Samantha Larsen said. “How nervous they are, and they shouldn’t have to feel like That being an 8-year-old child.”  “Shame on her. Shame on her. She needs a wake up call,” Littleton said.  [For more: NewsOn6]

Sears to sell appliances on Amazon, sending shares soaring

Sears said on Thursday that it will start selling its full line of Kenmore-branded appliances on Amazon, in an attempt by the struggling retailer to bolster sales. Shares of Sears jumped 22% in pre-market trading. This marks the broadest distribution of Kenmore appliances outside of Sears stores and its own websites, the company said. “We continuously look for opportunities to enhance the reach of our iconic brands to more customers and create additional value from our assets,” said Sears CEO Eddie Lampert. Sears has been trying to stay in business after years of declining sales and big losses. It has been closing stores, slashing costs, selling off real estate and parting ways with some of its brands. Sears sold its Craftsman brand to Stanley Black & Decker for $900 million earlier this year, and had been exploring its options for its Kenmore appliance and Diehard car part brands. However, its partnership with Amazon looks like an attempt to hold onto the brand while trying to reignite sales and reach new customers. “This collaboration is the first of its kind for Kenmore, broadening its accessibility to the next generation of American families outside of Sears branded retail channels,” said Tom Park, president of the Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard brands at Sears.

The Kenmore line of smart appliances have also been linked up to Amazon Alexa, the retailer said. Customers can ask Alexa to change the temperature on their air conditioner, for instance, without getting up from the couch. Kenmore’s smart air conditioners, starting at $380, are already on sale on Amazon and are eligible for Amazon Prime’s two-day shipping. Sears was once the biggest retailer in America and its famous catalogs were found in homes across the country. However, it has not fared well amid competition from retailers like Walmart and Amazon. Its physical footprint in the US has shrunk from 3,400 stores a decade ago to just 1,400 stores. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.  [For more: Forbes]

Detectives seek man caught on camera suspected of shoplifting Dyson vacuum [Video]

Placer County, California, Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying a man in a video who is suspected of leaving the Auburn Target store with a $600 Dyson vacuum that he didn’t pay for. The man loaded it into his cart and walked out the door, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect drove away in a dark-colored Ford Ranger pickup truck. Anybody with information on the suspect is asked to call detectives at (530) 889-7873.  [For more: The Sacramento Bee]

Walmart is developing a robot that identifies unhappy shoppers

Walmart is developing facial recognition technology to detect frustrated or unhappy shoppers. The technology uses video cameras at store checkout lines that monitor customers’ facial expressions and movements to try and identify varying levels of dissatisfaction, according to a patent filing.  If the system detects an unhappy customer, it will ping employees in other parts of the store and order them to report to a checkout register, in the hopes of alleviating shoppers’ distress. Walmart is hoping that the technology will enable stores to respond more efficiently to customer service issues before shoppers have a chance to complain.

Walmart will not only use the data to address immediate staffing needs. It will also use the technology to analyze trends in shoppers’ purchase behavior over time, according to the patent filing.  To analyze purchasing behavior, the system links customers’ facial expressions or “biometric data” as its called in the patent filing to their transaction data… meaning how much they are spending and what they are buying. Walmart says this will help stores detect changes in a customers’ purchase habits due to dissatisfaction.  “Significant drops or complete absence of customers spending … may be identified,” according to the patent filing. Walmart has previously tested facial recognition technology, but later abandoned the program because it was ineffective. In 2015, the company tested the technology in an unspecified number of stores to try and detect shoplifters and prevent theft. [For more: Business Insider]

Counterfeit consumer goods online pose risk to shoppers’ health

New research from MarkMonitor®, reveals counterfeit goods still pose a significant risk to consumers. More than one-quarter of respondents (27%) said they had unwittingly purchased non-genuine consumer goods online. This included every day items, such as make-up (32%), skincare (25%), supplements (22%) and, worryingly, medication (16%). Respondents found these non-genuine goods were found through a variety of online channels, including online marketplaces (39%), search engines (34%), mobile apps (22%) and social ads (20%). Respondents were also asked which of these channels they trusted to deliver goods that met their expectations all or most of the time. Brand websites were most trusted (89%), followed by online marketplaces (74%), online pharmacies (67%) and mobile apps (67%).

The research was conducted on behalf of MarkMonitor by independent market research firm Vitreous World. The aim was to examine online buying behaviour related to consumer goods, including make-up, toiletries, medicines, vitamins and supplements, purchased outside of supermarket shopping. “The threat of counterfeiters is ever-present, affecting both brands and consumers. For brands it’s all about the loss of revenue, reputation and customer trust. However, when it comes to non-genuine consumer goods such as cosmetics, skincare, sun care and medicines, the consequences for shoppers are far greater, affecting their health and well-being. As a result, it is up to brands to ensure they have a solid online brand protection policy in place to deal with the counterfeit threat and keep their customers safe from harm,” says Anil Gupta, Chief Marketing Officer of MarkMonitor. This sentiment was also reflected in the research, with 34% of respondents stating they believed it was a brand’s responsibility to protect them from counterfeiters. This is reinforced by the fact that almost four in every 10 consumers that unwittingly bought a fake product complained directly to the brand. In addition, with 80% of consumers relying on online reviews before making buying decisions, ensuring customer satisfaction is crucial. The survey also found that there is little desire to willingly purchase counterfeits. The majority of consumers (83%) stated they would not buy non-genuine consumer products, such as make-up, skincare and medicines. Respondents were surveyed online across 10 countries, including the UK, US< China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. Interviews were conducted online and were completed between 4-10 May 2017.  To read the full report, please visit: the MarkMonitor website,  [For more: PR Newswire]

The post Breaking News in the Industry: August 8, 2017 appeared first on LPM.

Police arrested a transient suspected of fatally stabbing a loss prevention associate outside a Food 4 Less grocery store in Sylmar, California, on Sunday afternoon, authorities said. The stabbing followed a dispute outside the store at Glenoaks Boulevard and Hubbard Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Police said that the suspect attempted to grab a “quantity of beer” from the store before he was confronted by loss prevention. “It appears that the victim’s brother was coming to pick him up from work … and pulled up to the curb and actually observed the incident occur,” Lieutenant Mike Kozak said. The suspect was not immediately identified. A manager who answered the phone at Food 4 Less said he was unaware of the incident. A police dispatcher said investigators are still canvassing the scene for evidence.  [Source: Los Angeles Times]

The post Transient Arrested in Fatal Stabbing of Loss Prevention Associate appeared first on LPM.

Florida Sheriff’s Office undercover shoplifting operation leads to 65 arrests

A six-day undercover operation by the Polk County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office deputies resulted in 65 shoplifting arrests during the past week, including several suspects with extensive criminal histories. Businesses in Auburndale, Lakeland, Davenport, Haines City, Mulberry and Winter Haven took part in the effort, including Bealls, Belk, Lowe’s, Target, Walmart and Burlington Coat Factory.

Undercover deputies worked with loss prevention personnel in those stores to identify those who were bypassing scanners in the self-checkouts and leaving the stores with concealed items. Of those arrested, 34 have criminal histories, including 140 felonies and 241 misdemeanor charges. Fifteen were juveniles. The value of the stolen items totaled $4,924, according to the Sheriff’s Office. A warrant was issued for Mark Logan Brents, 50, of Valrico, who fled in a gray 2017 Hyundai when approached by officers at Lowe’s, reports state. His car struck a Sheriff’s Office detective as Brents left Lowe’s, leading to a warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. [Source: The Ledger]

Victoria’s Secret robbery suspect charged; was part of lingerie theft ring

A woman accused of being part of an East Coast lingerie theft ring was charged Monday for an armed robbery in April of a Victoria’s Secret in Salisbury Township, Pennsylvania, according to court records. Twanika D. Greer, 24, of Baltimore, was one of three women who entered the South Mall store on April 2 and began filling their tote bags with bras, panties and other sale items, authorities said. When confronted by a store manager, Greer allegedly threatened, “better back off or you are going to get maced,” court records show. As she and the other women fled through the mall, she made a similar threat to employees of a sporting goods store who attempted to stop them, police said. The women fled in a sport utility vehicle driven by a fourth person, police said. The store’s regional manager said the women stole $3,038 worth of the store’s Pink brand items.

About a month later, Greer and four others were busted after the theft of $3,000 in lingerie from Victoria’s Secret store at the Berkshire Mall in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, police said.Police identified the group, all from the Baltimore area, being part of a lingerie theft ring suspected of stealing more than $300,000 worth of merchandise from Victoria’s Secret stores along the East Coast. After the May 22, arrest in Berks, a Wyomissing police officer contacted Salisbury Detective Kevin J. Kress to compare police reports and surveillance footage of the robberies. The store manager at the Salisbury store identified Greer as one of the women in the store who stole merchandise and as the one who threatened to mace her, according to court records. The three sporting goods store employees also identified her as the one who threatened them, police said. No one else has been charged in the Salisbury robbery.  [Source: The Morning Call]

HBO hackers leak top executive’s emails and demand ransom

The hacker or hackers behind the HBO data breach have posted online a publicly accessible link to a cache of internal documents, including a script summary of an upcoming Game of Thrones episode and a month’s worth of emails from the inbox of one of the company’s executives.  The materials, which mark the first evidence that some HBO private emails are in the hands of hackers, came Monday in an email message to The Hollywood Reporter that also contained nine files with such labels as “Confidential” and “Script GOT7.” The hackers also delivered a video letter to HBO CEO Richard Plepler that says, “We successfully breached into your huge network. … HBO was one of our difficult targets to deal with but we succeeded (it took about 6 months).” The Hollywood Reporter is not revealing the contents of the emails or the substance of the leaked Game of Thrones materials, which also includes marketing spreadsheets and media plans for the hit series. It’s unclear if the hackers sent the link to the materials to other media outlets or Game of Thrones fan sites.

While the release of an executive’s emails is an escalation of the HBO attack, it doesn’t necessarily indicate the hackers have access to widespread company emails, as was the case in the 2014 hack of Sony Pictures. On August 2, days after the HBO hack was first acknowledged, Plepler told staff: “We do not believe that our e-mail system as a whole has been compromised, but the forensic review is ongoing.” The confidential folder offers a screenshot of files that largely pertain to Game of Thrones and includes castings, script summaries and marketing materials, including a detailed summary of the episode that is set to air Sunday. In the letter to Plepler, which unfolds as a scroll set to ominous music, the hackers demand money (though the figure is redacted). They also claim that HBO marks their 17th target, and only three have failed to pay.  [Source: The Hollywood Reporter]

Your cellphone can potentially detect a credit card skimmer

As law enforcement agencies continue to come across credit card skimmers at gas station pumps, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller released a short video with some new tips on how you can avoid becoming an identity theft victim. One tip requires you to pull out your cellphone. According to the state agency, most of the credit card skimmers have Bluetooth technology. When you’re next to the pump, try connecting to Bluetooth and if you see “a long string of numbers trying to connect… then that’s probably not good,” says Miller. The other tips include checking the sticker on the pump to see if it has been tampered with and well as jiggling the credit card slot. “In Texas, we don’t tolerate cattle rustlers, horse thieves or cheats,” Commissioner Miller said in a release. “At the Texas Department of Agriculture, we’re going to do everything we can to protect law-abiding Texans’ personal information at the gas pump.”  [Source: CBS12 News]

How to spot a fake pair of eclipse viewing glasses and keep your eyes safe

The eclipse is only two weeks away, and if you haven’t gotten viewing glasses, now’s the time to get your hands on a pair. But beware: you need to make sure the pair you get is authentic and will genuinely guard your eyes from possible injuries. Only a few seconds of exposure to the sun’s light can cause permanent, life-long damage. Oregon Health & Science University doctors say it’s not only the visible light we should be worried about, it’s the ultraviolet light or high-energy light we need to be very mindful of. “Visible light will send brightness. It’s the ultraviolet light or the high-energy light that is completely invisible that does the most damage,” Dr. Brandon Lujan said. “Someone might notice that there are areas in their vision where they can’t see clearly or that there may be some distortion to their vision and there’s not a treatment for that.” Certified glasses have an ISO logo and numbered labeling, but officials say that’s no longer enough. Many manufacturers of uncertified glasses are copying those logos and printing them on glasses that are not safe to use.

It’s very sad that we have counterfeiters out there. For two bucks they can damage the child’s eye for life,” said Jim Todd with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. “It’s really hard to pick out a counterfeit; it’s like with money, it’s hard to pick them out unless you really know what you’re looking for.”Todd says stick with your instincts when purchasing a pair of glasses or viewers. “If something doesn’t seem right, there’s a hole, scratch, it’s missing a logo, a company name you have never heard of before, or who had given them to you, you might want to second-guess it,” Todd said.Here’s what you can do to protect yourself: Check to make sure the dealer is reputable and certified with NASA and the American Astronomical Society; Look for the logo and label; Make sure your glasses have an ISO and a numbered insignia; Inspect your glasses before wearing them; check for bends, tears and holes.  [Source: KATU2 News]

Baby formula thieves hit South Carolina; Police release surveillance photos

Two people who allegedly stole large amounts of baby formula from several Wisconsin stores including a Walmart in Sparta, South Carolina, are being sought by law enforcement. Sparta police issued surveillance video images of a man and a woman suspected of taking the formula from Walmarts in Sparta, Sturgeon Bay, and Portage. “Your first reaction might be sympathy for these poor folks who are just trying to feed their hungry baby,” Sparta police said on Facebook. “Stop it! That is not what is happening here! They are thieves!”

Baby formula theft is a national problem, and not just for use as baby food. The powdered formula is also used by drug dealers to cut cocaine and heroin. The cans can fetch up to $30 each. “Often these are organized retail theft rings who steal vast amounts of formula, sometimes leaving bare shelves,” the Facebook post said. “This can affect supply and price for honest parents who need the formula for their babies.” Where the thefts have gone ballistic, store owners are locking up baby formula and customers have to ask for it. The two suspects shown in the images hit the Sparta Walmart not once but twice.”They probably are not from Sparta, but if this reaches enough people, they will be identified,” the Facebook post said. “Our police friends in a few other cities would like to talk to these guys also.”  [Source: Wisconsin State Journal]

It’s like ‘The Jetsons’: Walmart adds new “scan-and-go” technology

For those tired of the long lines at big-box retailers, Walmart in Waxahachie, Texas, is providing a new, handheld way to shop. Consumers can now skip the dreaded checkout line and scan as they go with Walmart’s new “Scan and Go” technology. “It’s a very busy store, and we work very hard to make sure we don’t have long lines, but it’s very challenging,” expressed Josh Aston, store managers at the Walmart in Waxahachie. “So this gives us another tool to help our customers, and we’re adding ways to take care of them.” The shopping center officially launched its new addition to the shopper’s arsenal with the ‘Scan and Go’ system on Friday, August 4. The downloadable application can be used either through one’s smart phone or a Walmart issued hand scanner. Both options allow a customer to scan an item’s barcode while they shop.“At the end, click ‘finish’ and scan a QR code on any of the self-checkout registers and it’ll total your whole purchase,” Aston explained. “Or if you link a credit card straight to your “scan and go” app on your phone, you can purchase it straight from your phone and not even go to your register.” “Then you’ll get a bar code, and you’ll still have to go through the front end of the store, and an attendant will scan it and then you’re done, and you don’t even have to touch a register,” he included.

“It appeals more towards the younger generation, absolutely. It’s kind of like ‘The Jetsons,’” she chuckled. Although the technology option may not be for everyone, Aston addresses a recurring question among customers. “Some are concerned about the cashiers, but we’re not getting rid of the cashiers,” Aston confirmed. “Some of the customers don’t want the technology, so we still have cash registers and cashiers to take care of them.” “It’s about providing customers with additional options to shop,” he affirmed. “It allows customers to shop how they want and gives them back some time. Nobody wants to wait in line to purchase stuff, and if you choose to use this technology, then you won’t have to wait.”  [Source: Daily Light]

The post Breaking News in the Industry: August 9, 2017 appeared first on LPM.

The Mount Sterling Police Department is asking for help in identifying two people involved in a violent shoplifting incident. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that  police said in a Facebook post that a man shoplifted several items from the store and pepper sprayed the woman when she tried to stop him on Saturday. The Facebook post includes photos of the man and a woman accused of being an accomplice and providing the pepper spray before they entered the store. Police say that on August 6, a man shoplifted items from Walmart. When an 80-year-old female employee confronted him, police say he pepper sprayed her. The two left the area in a maroon minivan with Oklahoma registration plates. Walmart released a statement about the incident Monday afternoon. “We always work to keep our stores safe for associates and customers. We’re grateful no one was seriously hurt by this weekend’s incident, and we’ll help police with their investigation in any way we can.”  Mount Sterling Police are asking anyone with information to leave a private message or contact the case officer, Officer Mike Price at 859-498-8899 or 8594-498-8720.  [Source: WKYT News]

The post Kentucky Man Pepper Sprays 80-Year-Old Employee During Shoplifting Attempt appeared first on LPM.

Rhode Island credit card fraud suspects arrested after chase, crash

Police said a wider investigation could be opened after a credit card fraud incident led to a multi-state police chase Tuesday. According to Seekonk police, detectives were monitoring two men in the Commerce Way plaza on Route 6 who appeared to be going store-to-store and using fraudulent credit cards to buy large amounts of gift cards. When the suspects returned to their vehicle they were approached by a detective, who ordered them to stay in place. Police said the suspects ignored the detective’s order, entered the vehicle and took off. Police gave chase and at one point on Commerce Way, the suspect vehicle purposely drove at a Seekonk police cruiser, forcing the officer to swerve to avoid a crash, according to police. The pursuit continued westbound on Route 6 and shortly after crossing the state line into East Providence, the suspect lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a plaza sign at the Highland Commons, hitting a Seekonk cruiser in the process. Police said the suspects briefly tried to get away on foot before they were apprehended. The two men, identified as Brandan Howell and Christopher Williams, were taken into East Providence police custody as fugitives from justice.  [Source: WPRI12 News]

Philadelphia woman pleads guilty in Toys R Us theft

A Philadelphia woman charged with being part of a ring of women who stole from stores and returned the merchandise to other stores for refunds received a time-served sentence Monday in Washington County Circuit Court. Naima Renee Scott, 40, pleaded guilty to theft of $1,000 to $10,000. Circuit Court Judge Daniel P. Dwyer followed the state’s recommendation in sentencing her to 18 months in the county detention center, with all suspended except for the 46 days she has served. Her sentence includes restitution to Toys R Us of $1,671.87. But Scott still faces charges in two other states. Defense attorney Andrea Cheeatow told Dwyer that Scott, the mother of seven, has detainers from New Jersey, where she has a six-month sentence to serve, and Virginia, where she faces charges connected to the 2015 Washington County case.  [Source: Herald-Mail Media]

Toronto officer buys shirt, tie for shoplifter

A Toronto police officer who purchased a shirt and tie for a shoplifter who needed an outfit for a job interview said he wanted to give the young man a second chance to get his life on track. Constable Niran Jeyanesan said Monday that he and his partner were called to a Walmart on Jane Street for a reported theft on Sunday night. When they arrived, he said the loss prevention associate at the store had apprehended an 18-year-old man for stealing a dress shirt, tie and socks. After speaking to the shoplifter, Jeyanesan said he discovered that the young man needed the outfit for an upcoming job interview. “This young person has been facing his own difficulties in life and he was looking to straighten out all that by providing for his family and trying to get a job,” Jeyanesan said. After releasing the shoplifter without charge, Jeyanesan purchased the shirt and tie and gave the clothing to the man. “This individual didn’t have any resources,” Jeyanesan said.

“He wanted to go get that job. That was in his mind. I think he truly made a mistake.” By purchasing the clothing, the 31 Division officer said he saw an opportunity to help the man. “Police officers do this every day and they don’t get recognized for it. We don’t look for any recognition,” he said.
“A core part of policing is helping people and I think we do that every day.” Speaking to reporters Monday, 31 Division Staff Sergeant Paul Bois commended the officer for his decision. “I think the officer did a fantastic job. He exercised his discretion, definitely showed some humanity in dealing with this particular individual. Every circumstance is different and in this particular case the individual had undergone some personal difficulties and the officer wanted to help him out with that and I think collectively that’s why we are all here doing this job,” Bois said. “We need to make a positive difference in people’s lives. I think he did.” [Source: CP24 News]

Supermarket employee stole thousands from store

A 47-year-old Souderton, Pennsylvania, woman is facing three felony criminal counts for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from a Hilltown supermarket throughout a period of several months, according to police. Jennifer Ann Castellana, of the 100 block of Franklin Street, charged with third-degree felony counts of theft, theft by deception and receiving stolen property. Police said that in May, officers went to the Giant supermarket at 760 Route 113 for a reported theft of cash and determined through an ensuing investigation that Castellana, a Giant employee, had stolen roughly $4,000 in cash from both a register in the supermarket and the Giant gas station over the past five to six months. Castellana admitted to the thefts during questioning, police said. An arrest warrant for Castellana was issued on July 27; court records indicated Monday that she has yet to be taken into custody and arraigned.  [Source: KATU2 News]

Woman charged in nearly $1M theft from employer

The human resources director of a Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, firm has been charged with stealing nearly $1 million from the company by depositing a significant number of checks into her personal checking account, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office said Monday. Christine Marie Cushman, 31, of Douglassville, faces multiple offenses related to allegations that she stole $919,301 from HighPoint Solutions LLC in East Norriton by making 45 illegal transactions, according to a news release authorities issued on Monday. She had worked for the company briefly in 2007, and returned there in 2014. HighPoint, a technology consultant in the medical and life sciences fields, was alerted when a bank officer for its payroll company noticed multiple suspicious and significant amounts of funds being deposited into Cushman’s bank account, authorities reported. HighPoint’s chief financial officer met with East Norriton Police Detective Anthony Caso in July, prompting the investigation that revealed fraudulent payroll checks were written to subcontractors who no longer did business with the company. Previously, the companies used the same bank that Cushman used for direct deposit for her paychecks, according to police. When the fake deposits were made, detectives found that Cushman quickly transferred the money to another account, or used the money to pay personal expenses. Cushman’s responsibilities included preparing and reviewing payroll payments. Authorities allege the thefts took place from May 5 to June 15.   [Source: The Inquirer Daily News]

America’s total eclipse floods market with fake sunglasses

When millions of Americans turn their faces skyward to witness the nation’s first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in a century, many will reach for specially designed sunglasses, but experts caution the public to stay clear of unsafe counterfeits. Even as makers of certified, safety-tested solar eye ware rushed to meet surging demand before the August 21 eclipse, they have joined astronomers and optometrists in warning of defective knockoffs flooding the US market. “It’s a bunch of unscrupulous people cashing in on the eclipse and putting public safety at risk,” said Richard Fienberg, press officer for the American Astronomical Society (AAS). Staring at the sun without proper filtration, even when it is partially obscured by the moon during an eclipse, can damage or destroy photo-receptor cells of the eye’s retina, leaving blind spots in a person’s field of vision, experts said. Special eyeglasses made with proper solar filters allow viewers to safely gaze at the sun any time for unlimited duration, the AAS said. Although the advent of solar-safe sunglasses dates back more than three decades, they have never been so widely available to the public as for the 2017 event, which Fienberg said may rank as the most watched total solar eclipse in human history. That is largely because this year’s spectacle will be the first in 99 years to span the entire continental United States – the world’s third most populous nation – across a 70-mile-wide path over 14 states, from the Pacific coast of Oregon to the Atlantic shore of South Carolina. It will also be the first total solar eclipse visible from any of the Lower 48 states since 1979.

While no data exists for how many made-for-eclipse eyeglasses are in circulation overall, shady distributors of purportedly solar-safe shades abound on the Internet, Fienberg said. The lenses of some obvious fakes allow the penetration of light from such relatively faint sources as fluorescent lamps, while the only thing one should see through authentic solar-safe filters when looking at objects fainter than the sun is pitch blackness. Other bogus glasses have come stamped with forged logos of reputable manufacturers or with phony safety labels. Peru State College in Nebraska, which lies in the path of the eclipse, ordered 7,500 pairs for students but discovered the shipment from a Chinese distributor was defective and came with safety certificates for ordinary sunglasses. The AAS and NASA have posted a list of reputable solar filter brands, retail distributors and online dealers, which can be seen by clicking here. Prices range from as little as 99 cents for a pair of paper-frame glasses to $20 or $30 for a more stylish plastic set. Made from an extremely opaque black polymer film containing fine carbon powder, true solar-safe lenses are designed to screen out 250,000 times more visible light than would otherwise reach the naked eye, said B. Ralph Chou, a Canadian optometrist who led development of global standards for solar optics. Any filter less opaque than that may cause severe eye damage that would not become evident until hours later, Chou warned. The legitimate glasses, which offer no views outside the eclipse, carry their own hazards, however. “When you put the glasses on, you can look at the sun, but don’t try to walk around,” Chou said.  [Source: US News]

The post Breaking News in the Industry: August 10, 2017 appeared first on LPM.

Almost $50,000 in gift cards bought with stolen identities

Jefferson Parish Louisiana Sheriff’s Office investigators arrested five people accused of using stolen personal information to buy almost $50,000 worth of gift cards at local stores. The suspects involved fraudulently bought gift cards using customer accounts at Best Buy, in Harvey, and Sears, in Metairie, Louisiana, according to arrest and incident reports. Other than the similarities in how the suspects allegedly executed the thefts, detectives don’t think the two cases are connected, said Lt. Jason Rivarde, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office. The first investigation began on July 13 when a loss prevention associate for Sears contacted the Sheriff’s Office after noticing that a woman had been coming to the store and using stolen customer account information to buy gift cards, an incident report said. Using surveillance video, the officer identified the woman as Kyandria Wimbush, 18, of Harvey, arrest reports said. Wimbush is accused of recruiting store cashiers Darius Barrow, 18, and Ronald Rankins, 22, both of New Orleans, to look up customers’ Sears accounts using stolen social security numbers, the arrest reports said.

Wimbush then used the account information to buy $21,352 worth of gift cards, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The loss prevention associates prevented her from buying another $5,080 worth when she, Rankin and Barrow were taken into custody on July 15, the incident reports state.
Wimbush was booked with identity theft valued over $1,000, computer fraud, access device fraud and attempted access device fraud, arrest reports show. Rankins and Barrow were booked with one count of computer fraud. On July 18, the assistant manager of Best Buy in Harvey contacted the Sheriff’s Office after confronting a 17-year-old cashier about the purchase of $28,103 worth of gift cards using stolen personal information, according to Rivarde. NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune is not identifying the 17-year-old girl because she is a minor. The teen told investigators a woman approached her in the store and asked if she wanted to make some extra money, the incident report said. The woman paid the teen $1,000 to access customer Best Buy accounts to buy Visa and Best Buy gift cards. The pair used five customer accounts to make the purchases in 18 transactions between June 3 and July 13, arrest reports state.  [Source: The Times Picayune]

Washington man hits store employees after shoplifting attempt foiled

Two grocery employees in Lynwood, Washington, were injured over the weekend when an angry shoplifting suspect struck them with a shovel handle, according to police. The incident began when a 44-year-old man walked into the QFC store and attempted to steal some sandwiches, police said. The man left the store when an employee spotted the theft attempt and told the man he needed to pay for the sandwiches. About four hours later, the man returned to the store armed with a stick that appeared to be the handle of a gardening tool like a shovel. The man went up to the employee who had confronted him earlier and hit him in the head with the stick, police said. As the suspect fled, another employee tried to detain him. The suspect struck that employee with the stick as well. The suspect was captured nearby by a K-9 police dog that was brought to the scene. Both of the store employees were treated for cuts to the head and one also had a bruise to his arm. [Source: KOMO News]

Cashier steals $5,000 in his only month on the job

A  Wisconsin Macy’s employee turned himself in after he was caught stealing more than $5,000 in cash in the one month he worked there. On June 29 Wauwatosa police officers responded to Macy’s for a report on employee theft. Officers spoke with the loss prevention associate, who informed police of more than $5,000 in cash register money shortages linked to an employee by the name of Dion Spears, 20, Milwaukee, according to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County. According to police, they located 10 incidents where Spears’ register came up short – several of which were caught on surveillance video. In the video, Spears is seen opening the register, removing money and putting it into deposit bags and putting it into his pocket. According to investigators, there are ten incidences on video when the defendant is on video. The total amount of money stolen without consent from Macy’s between May 24, 2017, and June 21, 2017, was $5,163.65.  [Source: Wauwatosa Patch]

Under Armour wins $300,000 in lawsuit against Chinese knockoff brand

A Chinese knockoff brand known as Uncle Martian is being ordered to pay Under Armour a large sum for copyright infringement. Popular sports brand Under Armour has been tenacious in taking legal action against the Chinese sportswear startup whose logo is uncannily similar. Since last year, Under Armour has been targeting a brand they deem as a “serious concern” and “blatant infringement,” according to Shanghaiist. “Under Armour is aware of the Uncle Martian launch event,” said in a statement back in May 2016. “Uncle Martian’s uses of Under Armour’s famous logo, name, and other intellectual property are a serious concern and blatant infringement. Under Armour will vigorously pursue all business and legal courses of action.”  The legal battle between Under Armour and Uncle Martian has now come to a conclusion.

Uncle Martian’s parent company, Tingfeilong Sporting Goods, has been ordered to pay Under Armour 2 million yuan ($300,000), according to a court ruling in Fujian. In addition, the Chinese knockoff brand was ordered to destroy all infringing products. To top off Under Armour’s victory, Uncle Martian is also ordered to release a statement to “eliminate the adverse effect” of the brand’s infringement. Tingfeilong Sporting Goods is a 26-year-old shoe manufacturer that hoped to take advantage of Under Armour’s success in China. The company launched their Uncle Martian brand, which featured a logo that clearly resembles Under Armour’s famous emblem, in the hopes of capturing the sports market in their region as well.   [Source: NextShark]

Shots fired during pursuit of suspected shoplifter in Delaware County

Several Ohio police agencies are investigating after a shoplifting incident led to a deputy firing at the suspect. According to the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, it started around 8pm Tuesday with a shoplifting call at the OshKosh B’gosh store at the Tanger Outlet Mall. Deputies on bike patrol found the suspect in her vehicle in the back of the parking lot. When deputies tried to talk to her, the Sheriff’s office said she began to pull away, knocking one of the officers over in the process.

One deputy believed she was driving at them and fired at least one shot at the vehicle, puncturing a tire. The driver got away and started heading east, away from the mall. That’s when a nearby deputy started chasing the suspect. The Sheriff’s office said the suspect crashed about a mile away at the intersection of Berkshire Road and 3 Bs and K. The driver was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries. A deputy was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure. Ohio BCI is investigating the shooting, the Ohio State Highway patrol is investigating the crash and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shoplifting. No charges have been filed yet, but they are expected.  [Source: NBC4i News]

Cargo thefts decline sharply in second quarter, but $17.2M worth of freight still stolen

Thieves stole $17.2 million worth of cargo in the United States and Canada during the second quarter of 2017, down from $35.1 million in the year-ago period, data tracking firm CargoNet reported. The number of thefts also declined, to 296 from 375 in the second quarter of 2016, according to CargoNet. While California and Texas remain first and second as the most popular states for thieves, both recorded drops in the number and value of thefts, with declines of 53% and 51%, respectively. California had the most thefts among states at 24%, followed by Texas at 15%, Tennessee at 11%, Florida at 8% and New Jersey at 6%. CargoNet’s data includes thefts in trucking, rail, warehousing, vehicle theft and fraud. CargoNet said that the food and beverage category remains the most active, accounting for 20% of thefts. While that is a decline of 5% versus year-ago levels, thefts of second-place household goods rose 4%, accounting for 19% of thefts. Electronics lands in third place, with 11% of thefts, versus nearly 15% for the second quarter of 2016.

While the reported declines are welcome news, Scott Cornell, transportation lead and crime and theft specialist at The Travelers Companies Inc., noted that reporting and enforcement can affect the numbers. CargoNet’s members report voluntarily, and sometimes that means underreporting of thefts, he said. “I’m not saying all of the decrease is due to a lack of reporting, though,” he noted. “I think a big part is due to the arrests, and [to] some [extent] the underreporting or change in reporting, the fluctuation.” In terms of enforcement, high-profile busts can raise alarm among thieves. Cornell said that from 2016 into early 2017, “there were a ton of arrests made for cargo theft” such as in Georgia, California and Florida. “Florida and Georgia worked very well together, with the Miami Dade and Georgia task forces making numerous arrests. In Southern California, the [Los Angeles Police Department] made numerous arrests and that will reduce cargo thefts.” The numbers of trucks and trailers stolen in the United States and Canada also declined last quarter, with thieves snagging 110 tractors and 109 trailers. Thefts of tractors were down 17% and thefts of trailers declined 29% compared with year-ago levels. More intermodal chassis and containers were stolen, 25 in the second quarter this year compared with 21 in the same period in 2016. [Source: Transport Topics]

More than 100 Applebee’s, IHOP restaurants to close

The parent company of Applebee’s and IHOP could close as many as 135 Applebee’s restaurants, and 25 IHOP restaurants this year due to poor sales, according to a statement released Thursday. DineEquity’s interim CEO Richard J. Dahl said in the release that 2017 will be a “transitional year” for Applebee’s, adding, “we are making the necessary investments for overall long-term brand health and expect to see improvement over the next year.” DineEquity noted that the numbers are revised expectations – the number of Applebee’s restaurants set to close is more than double what was previously expected.  The number of expected IHOP closures is between two and seven more locations. “IHOP remains on solid ground, despite soft sales this quarter,” Dahl said. “I am optimistic about the growth in both effective franchise restaurants and system-wide sales.” Company officials said in the release that “the expected closures will be based on several criteria, including franchisee profitability, operational results and meeting our brand quality standards.” The press release notes a 7 percent decline in sales for Applebee’s during the first six months of 2017.Additionally, IHOP’s sales declined 2.6 percent for the second quarter of 2017. Applebee’s sales declined 6.2 percent for the second quarter of 2017. The announcement boosted DineEquity’s stock 4 percent Thursday morning. [Source: WGN9 News]

The post Breaking News in the Industry: August 11, 2017 appeared first on LPM.

A break-in at a Notasulga, Alabama, package store Friday led to a police chase and exchange of gunfire between the fleeing suspects and a police officer, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday. The suspects were identified as Marion Cortez Felder ,25, of Fitzpatrick, Alabama, his brother Alexander Darnel Felder , 26, and Ronji Duvan Vason , 42, both of Montgomery, Alabama. Each faces one count of attempted murder and reckless endangerment after shots were fired at the pursuing police officer. The suspects are held on a $76,000 bond each in the Lee County Detention Facility but will be transferred to Macon County authorities after their release to answer burglary and theft charges in Notasulga.
At 3:05 a.m. CDT Friday, an alarm went off at a Notasulga package store, and the owner who lives nearby went to check on the business. At the scene, he found the front door pried open and several masked suspects stealing items inside the business. The masked men shoved the owner out of their way, ran from the store and jumped into a getaway car. In an attempt to disable their vehicle, the owner rammed their car with his vehicle and chased them until a shot was fired at him.

An officer on patrol in the area saw the fleeing vehicle with headlights turned off and all occupants wearing masks while the business owner pursued them. The officer activated his lights to stop the vehicle but the occupants started throwing liquor bottles at the police cruiser, striking it in the windshield. The suspects then fired shots at the officer who returned fire while pursuing the vehicle. To assist the officer, Auburn police deployed spike strips on the road to flatten the tires on the vehicle. The vehicle continued to flee until it struck an iron fence behind a building on North College Street in Auburn. The occupants stopped the car and fled on foot briefly before they were taken into custody. Officers searched for a fourth suspect but found no one. Chief Mike Knowles of the Notasulga Police Department requested Lee County Sheriff’s Office to conduct the officer involved shooting investigation with the three suspects. During the investigation, detectives seized homemade masks, gloves and a 9mm pistol believed to have been used in the incident. They also recovered cigarettes, bottles of liquor and an undisclosed amount of cash. All three suspects will face charges in the store burglary and theft. Anyone with information in the case should call the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at 334-749-5651 or Lee County Crime Stoppers at 888-522-7847.  [Source: Ledger-Enquirer]

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Cop who pled guilty to shoplifting gets probation

An 18-year veteran of the Belleville, New Jersey, Police Department, who pled guilty to shoplifting earlier this year, has been sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay restitution to a local liquor store. But the former police officer, Wanda Posada, 50, will not be barred from future employment by the State of New Jersey, something the prosecution had initially sought. “I did not find that this offense touched on her public office,” Superior Court Judge Martin Cronin said during the Wednesday hearing in Newark. “But this court did find that she was a police officer at the time, and she was duty bound to serve.”

The available evidence, which includes security video without accompanying audio, is not reliable enough to justify barring Posada from future public employment, Cronin determined. Without audio to go with the security footage of a brief exchange with a store clerk, and without testimony to support the police report, Cronin said he could not rule the shoplifting pertained to her duties as a police officer. “The finding would have to be based solely on the reliability of the video and the reliability of the report,” Cronin said. Assistant Prosecutor Matthew E. Hanley had argued that New Jersey requires forfeiture of public office in the event of a criminal conviction. “In my wildest dreams, I didn’t dream that forfeiture would not be granted,” Hanley said. Posada’s attorney, Robert J. Brass, asked that the judge sentence Posada only to the minimum. “It was a $50 bottle of liquor,” Brass said. “There was not a threat of violence, obviously.” Posada is not likely to re-offend, he told the judge. “The defendant, since then, has suffered the loss of her job as a police officer,” Brass said. “She has been going through a lot of anguish, grief and embarrassment over what she did.” Posada, who has two children and is caring for a sick mother, has been embarrassed by the public scrutiny resulting from the incident, maintained Brass. “She has obviously learned a lesson here that no sentence a court could hand out [would teach],” he said. Standing and speaking to the judge, Posada expressed remorse. “I am sorry about everything that has happened … It’s been very difficult, and I would like to just get back to my normal life,” Posada said. Posada had pleaded guilty to the December, 31, 2015 shoplifting at the White Oak Liquor Shop.  [Source: The Herald-North Jersey]

Ohio women arrested after bystander intervenes in mall theft

Police arrested two Youngstown, Ohio, women in a shoplifting incident after a witness intervened to help recover the stolen merchandise, according to a police report. According to the report, officers responded to a bus stop at Southern Park Mall about 6:30 PM Tuesday in reference to two women fighting. There, a woman told police she had been shopping in Sears when she saw two women put merchandise into a backpack and then leave the store. The woman told police she informed a store employee about the theft, but the employee said they couldn’t do anything because the suspects already had left the store.  When the witness saw the two women in the store a second time, filling more bags with merchandise, she followed them out of the store to a bus stop, she told police. She said she confronted them when they attempted to get on the bus with the stolen items.

One of the women, later identified as Tiesha Howell, 22, of Ferndale Avenue, threatened the witness and the two got into a scuffle, according to the report. Police arrived and arrested Howell on a robbery charge. They arrested the other suspect, Breiash Floyd, 20, also of Ferndale, on charges of obstructing official business, resisting arrest and theft. All the merchandise, the value of which was estimated at nearly $1,500, was returned to Sears, according to the report. Mahoning County court records indicate that Howell has a previous conviction for disorderly conduct, and Floyd has previous convictions for disorderly conduct/failure to desist and theft. [Source: The Vindicator]

Employee arrested after allegedly giving away goods to victim of car crash to repay debt

Two women got in a fender-bender last year, and neither had insurance. That’s what Springfield, Oregon police say led to more than $36,000 worth of theft from the Big Lots on 58th and Main streets to pay for the damage to one woman’s car. Robin Michelle Lagergren, 50, was arrested Thursday afternoon on one felony count of organized retail theft. Five other people may be arrested in connection with the case, police said. According to Springfield police officer Mike Massey, Lagergren had been involved in a car crash with another woman, who police are not naming until potential charges are filed.

Because both Lagergren and the woman didn’t have insurance, they made a deal, Massey said, plotting to use Lagergren’s job as a checker at Big Lots to repay the debt of $500. The agreement meant that the victim of the car crash could go into Big Lots and “purchase” more than $500 worth of merchandise, but that Lagergren would void all but one of the items, allowing the crash victim to walk out of the store with $500 worth of items for the price of one item. This occurred a couple of times, Massey said, until the debt was repaid. However, the crash victim did not want to stop and allegedly threatened or convinced Lagergren that if she didn’t continue to honor their agreement, the crash victim would turn Lagergren into police and to the store’s manager. This blackmailing system, Massey said, continued for a year and included the crash victim allowing a couple of acquaintances to get merchandise in the same manner, under the threat of turning Lager­gren in if she didn’t comply. “The only reason (Lagergren) got caught was that she got a little too excited on her scanner and voided more items that she had originally scanned,” Massey said. “That put up a red flag in their computer systems.” The store’s security put together a very good case, Massey said, and just after 1:30 p.m. Thursday, the store’s assistant manager called Springfield police. Lagergren was described by the manager as being cooperative. She was pulled into an office with store security until police arrived. She was then arrested. [Source: The Register Guard]

Wyoming man assaults a Police Officer after shoplifting beer

John Brown, a 46-Year-Old Man from Riverton, was arrested for Shoplifting, Possession of Marijuana, Resisting Arrest, and Assault on a Police Officer after stealing some items from Walmart Supercenter in Riverton, Wyoming, and engaging in a physical altercation with Officers in the parking lot At 3:32 PM on Tuesday, August 8, 2017, Riverton Police Department received a call from WalMart Supercenter stating that Brown had walked into the liquor store, grabbed a bottle of beer and a can of beer and then walked out of the liquor store. Brown reportedly began drinking the alcoholic beverages inside the store, prompting employees to tell him that he needed to go back to the liquor store and pay for the items. The man then grabbed a knife off of the shelf, put it in his pants and continued drinking while walking toward the door.

Officers arrived on scene and found Brown walking outside of the store near the garden center exit where they began talking to him. Brown refused to acknowledge the officers and continued walking and drinking the alcoholic beverages. Another officer arrived on the scene and pulled his car in front of Brown when he stopped walking and began yelling obscenities at the officers. One officer managed to get the beer out of his hand while another attempted to restrain Brown so that officers could find the knife that he had allegedly stolen from the store. Brown broke free from the officer’s control and began demanding that the officers shoot him or tase him. Officers obliged and deployed a Taser gun on Brown, which had minimal effect. When officers made contact with Brown he responded by punching an officer in the face. deployed a third taser gun, which was not successful. Officers managed to eventually restrain the man and get him into handcuffs. Brown continued resisting even after officers put him in the patrol vehicle.  [Source: County10 News]

HBO offered ‘bounty’ to hackers who leaked Game of Thrones

HBO offered a reward of $250,000 in response to a data breach at the television group that produces “Game of Thrones,” according to a report from a leaked memo. The report by Variety on Thursday said HBO offered the payment as a “bug bounty,” which is offered by companies to discover vulnerabilities in their computer networks. The offer apparently failed to satisfy the attackers who have demanded a ransom of millions of dollars and are threatening to release more files from what is claimed to be a massive data breach.

HBO, a unit of the media group Time Warner, did not respond to a query about the Variety report. Earlier this week, a video circulating online authored by someone identified only as “Mr. Smith” said the hackers had videos, scripts, personnel files and other sensitive data from the breach. The hackers demanded “six month salary,” which, according to the video, would be more than $6 million. Last week the hacker group leaked one script of “Games of Thrones” and content from other HBO productions. HBO has said it was working with forensic experts and law enforcement in response to the attack.  [Source: SAMAA TV News]

Thieves drive stolen Jeep into front of jewelry store [Video]

Jewel thieves used a stolen Jeep as a battering ram to break through the front of a jewelry store in Longmont, Colorado, in a brazen heist earlier this week captured on security video. At about 1:45 a.m. Wednesday, a person drove a red Jeep Cherokee through the barricaded front doors of The Gold Market. A surveillance video shows the Jeep crashing through the front of the store and coming to rest in the entryway before two other people enter the store through the broken doors. Longmont police said the thieves proceeded to break into the display cases in the store and steal jewelry before leaving the scene in a second car, a silver Jeep Cherokee. Police believe both Jeeps were stolen. The red one was reported stolen from Colorado Springs while the silver Jeep was reported stolen out of Mead and has the license plate 469-MQX. Anyone who has information on this case is asked to call Longmont police Detective Mark Deaton at 303-651-8517. [Source: Times-Call]

The post Breaking News in the Industry: August 14, 2017 appeared first on LPM.

Florida Gators suspend 7 players suspected of credit card fraud for season opener

Reports surfaced last week that numerous players on the Florida Gators football team were suspected of credit card fraud. More specifically, players allegedly misused their student debit cards with scholarship funds provided to them by the school. Those players reportedly purchased electronics, then re-sold them, and attempted to claim the cards had been lost or stolen.

On Sunday, the team decided to suspend all seven players involved: Star junior wide receiver Antonio Callaway is the biggest name of the group, which also includes junior defensive lineman Keivonnis Davis, redshirt sophomore DL Richerd Desir-Jones, redshirt freshman DL Jordan Smith, freshman linebacker James Houston IV, freshman LB Ventrell Miller and freshman offensive lineman Kadeem Telfort. “We have a small group of players that have made some choices that are extremely disappointing,” coach Jim McElwain said in a release. “Action has been taken, they have missed some practice and will miss the Michigan game. We will use this as a learning opportunity and we will have some players step up as we move forward.” Those seven players will not be available to face off against the Michigan Wolverines in their season opener.  [Source: TotalProSports]

Surveillance photos part of investigation into theft ring [Photos]

A local news outlet in Pennsylvania has obtained surveillance photos police say show the suspects in a theft ring. Police said Giavanna Rizzo, Kearston Graham, Melissa Brough and Tyler Likovich stole from Marshall’s stories almost daily. Stores in Robinson, Scott and West Mifflin were targeted. According to investigators, the suspects would steal from one store and then return the stolen merchandise to another. Police call it an organized theft ring. Police say they’ve committed more than 25 thefts, mostly between April and July. In total, they’ve tricked store employees out of nearly $5,000. If you know where any of the suspects may be, you’re asked to call police.  [Source: WPXI 11 News]

Couple working at retail store caught stealing

A couple working at Walmart was busted for stealing from the store. Albuquerque, New Mexico Police says on Thursday, a Walmart Loss Prevention associate from the store at Eubank near I-40 contacted officers. He told officers he watched recent surveillance video and saw two employees, Jennifer Pena and Joel Romero, steal two cell phones from the store. Pena used her employee key to access the phones, then put them in her pants. Romero was the alleged ‘lookout’ as the crime happened. The two are said to be dating.

When Pena was arrested for embezzlement at Walmart on Friday, police say they found meth on her. She appeared in court on Saturday. “I do find it unfortunate, Ms. Pena, that you have absolutely no criminal history and your first encounter with law enforcement, you now have a felony pending. You may need to reconsider, Ms. Pena, the choices that you are making,” said Judge Christine Rodriguez. Because of that lack of criminal history, the judge released Pena on her own recognizance.  [Source: KRQE 13 News]

Border agents seize 36,000 counterfeit toy planes at Minnesota border

Tens of thousands of counterfeit toy airplanes were seized from a rail car trying to cross from Canada into the International Falls, Minn., area in early August, according to federal authorities. After examining the 36,000 airplanes, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers determined that neither the importer nor the manufacturer was licensed to display the trademarks or produce the seized toys, which originated from China. The agency estimated that if the toys had made it to market, their combined retail value would have topped $575,000. “Counterfeiters look to make profits by making fake versions of the hottest products as soon they are available on the market,” Jason Givens, spokesman for US Customs and Border Protection, said. “Each time someone buys a counterfeit good, a legitimate company loses revenue. This translates to lost profits and US  jobs over time.”

The agency, which said the toys were seized near International Falls, released a photo of a toy fighter jet in a box with the Denver Die Cast brand. Givens, however, declined to identify the company or companies whose products were being illegally copied. He added that he’s unaware of anyone being arrested, charged or punished in this case. He also declined to reveal who was behind the production and shipment of the toy airplanes. Like the goods in this shipment, “the vast majority of seized items [trying to enter the United States] involving intellectual property rights violations come from China (52 percent) and Hong Kong (36 percent),” Givens said. On a typical day in fiscal-year 2016, Customs and Border Protection seized $3.8 million worth of products with these types of violations. Apparel, consumer electronics and footwear led the way. [Source: Star Tribune]

Counterfeiting ring faces jail time for forging arcade cabinets

Six people were charged with creating and selling counterfeit arcade cabinets in California and could face over 10 years in prison if convicted. Three members of a Santa Clara, California, family and three accomplices were charged with forging arcade cabinets, loading them up with pirated versions of classic arcade games like Pac-Man, Galaga, and Tank Battalion, The Mercury News reported Thursday. The six individuals ran CoinOpStore, which manufactured and sold arcade cabinets (some with games) and arcade paraphernalia (like stools and joysticks). Cabinets contained anywhere between 60 and 30,000 pirated games and sold for at least $1,459 each, The Mercury News reported. Each member of the ring is facing 14 counts of felony counterfeiting and, if convicted, could get hit with a maximum sentence of 11 years and eight months in jail, plus forfeiture of their assets including $1.2 million in cash, a Mercedes Benz, a BMW, and five properties around California.  [Source: Mashable]

Why condoms, pregnancy tests and Egyptian-cotton hotel sheets top retail thieves’ and shoplifters’ list

A somewhat surprising item is a top target for retail theft rings and shoplifters. It’s Egyptian cotton, hotel-quality bed sheets with thread counts of 800, 1,000 or higher. Those are great to sleep on and market travel in Trivago commercials ads. Hotel sheets also are expensive, selling for as much as $700 or $800 a set at retailers such as Nordstrom, Macy’s, Dillard’s, and high-end stores such as Neiman Marcus. They are a target of thieves for two reasons. They are expensive and comparatively easy to grab. Thieves can resell them or try to return them to stores to get a refund or gift card. They can also be used as filter in the making of crystal meth. The highly addictive drug is made via a chemical recipe, filtration and cooking process.

“You need some filtration,” said John Hassard, loss prevention and security expert with Robson Forensic, a Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based consulting firm that works with businesses. The better the filtration and ingredients, the more the meth can be worth on the street. Expensive items — such as designer clothing and jeans and expensive bedding — can also be fenced and shipped to larger theft rings that sell the items online or overseas. “A lot of it is shipped overseas,” said Patrick Murphy, a forensic security expert with LPT Security Consulting in Houston. Sergeant Darrell Krueger, a spokesman for the Gilbert Police, said there have been some documented thefts of bed sheets this year. Krueger said police haven’t determined motives for the theft.  [Source: Phoenix Business Journal]

The post Breaking News in the Industry: August 15, 2017 appeared first on LPM.

Authorities say a shoplifting suspect in New Jersey drowned when he ran from police and then tried to swim away in a lake. Gloucester County prosecutors say officers approached the 20-year-old man at a Woodbury, New Jersey, convenience store around 3:50 AM Saturday and tried to speak with him. But they say he ran off and jumped into nearby Woodbury Lake.

The officers ordered the man to leave the water. But they soon lost sight of him when he swam under a bridge. Emergency responders then searched the water for the man but could not find him. A state police dive team eventually found his body around 10:30 a.m. An autopsy determined the death was an accidental drowning. His identity has not been released.  [Source: Fox News US]

The post Shoplifting Suspect Flees Cops, Drowns in Lake appeared first on LPM.

Joliet police arrest employee accused of stealing from store

Joliet, Illinois, police arrested another JCPenney employee accused of stealing from the store at the Louis Joliet Mall. Police arrested Alexis R. House, 18, on charges of theft and retail theft. A warrant was issued for House’s arrest Wednesday and officers took her into custody at the police department. House was a JCPenney employee who allegedly stole between $10,000 and $100,000 cash from the store between May 23 and July 28, according to the criminal complaint. She also allegedly under-rang merchandise at the cash register so it would reflect about $305 for clothes that had a full retail value of about $1,444. House was booked into the Will County jail Thursday on a $20,000 bond, of which 10 percent is needed for bail.

Joliet Police Deputy Chief Ed Gregory said the store had been investigating House and found she made more than 60 fraudulent transactions totaling more than $10,000 but less than $100,000. Gregory said he didn’t know if there was a connection between House and Aurora Acevedo, 41, another JCPenney employee, who was arrested on Aug. 3 for allegedly stealing $1,400 worth of clothes from the store. Police are also seeking to arrest Jesse M. Lopez, 36, and Marvellin Gonzalez, 31, for allegedly stealing more than $300 worth of shoes, clothes and sunglasses from JCPenney. The two suspects share the same address as Acevedo. When asked if there was any connection between all four suspects or if they had been working together, JCPenney Spokesman Joseph Thomas said in an email the company does not comment on asset protection activities.  [Source: The Herald-News]

Shoplifting suspect pursued through yards, fields

A Waukegan, Illinois, man was arrested on several pending charges of felony theft, along with other offenses, after an extended chase that started at the Walmart Supercenter.  Mount Pleasant police said the incident began at about 9:40 a.m. when an alert loss prevention associate at Walmart recognized a man who had been seen allegedly committing felony theft on August 8. At that time, loss prevention associates were unable to apprehend the man. When the man, later identified as Che Allen Hearn, 27, was observed again allegedly committing felony theft on Monday, the store employee called Mount Pleasant police, who located the vehicle Hearn had been driving. When Hearn left the store, allegedly with more stolen items, and saw police he reportedly ran back into Walmart, where both police and store employees pursued him through the store.

Hearn reportedly left the store through a rear fire door; the pursuit continued through farm fields and residential backyards. Responding officers set up a perimeter while other officers pursued Hearn. He was eventually found and arrested in a wooded area. Hearn was arrested on pending charges of: four counts of felony retail theft and one count of retail theft from the Aug. 8 incident; and one count of felony retail theft, one count of resisting arrest and two counts of disorderly conduct from Monday’s incident starting at Walmart. Hearn was being held in the Racine County Jail on Monday afternoon, where he also was under a probation hold.  [Source: The Journal Times]

Nassau man robbed store, tussles with LP associate

A Hemsptead, New York, man was arrested by police on Monday for allegedly stealing from a store in Levittown, New York, over the weekend. According to police, Philip Odom, 49, went into the Kohl’s department store, around 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Police say that Odom concealed four pocketbooks, valued at $144, in a black bag and left the store. The store’s loss prevention associate approached Odom to try to recover the stolen bags, but police say Odom pushed the man, then grabbed a thick metal chain from his bicycle and swung it at him. Police say the loss prevention associate went back into the store and called police as Odom fled on his bicycle. The loss prevention associate saw that Odom’s cell phone had fallen out of his pocket during their struggle, and held it until police arrived. No one was injured. An investigation by police led to the arrest of Odom at his home on Monday. He is charged with first-degree robbery and threatening the use of a dangerous instrument. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday in First District Court in Hempstead.  [Source: Levittown Patch]

Two men arrested for counterfeited credit cards

Authorities arrested two men they say were trafficking in counterfeit credit cards.  The arrest occurred during a traffic stop on Interstate 75, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.  Yohandry Hernandez, 31, and 30-year-old Kevin Flores were stopped in a vehicle that contained several counterfeit credit cards and 35 blank Walmart gift cards with zip codes written on the back.  Both men  have criminal histories involving credit card fraud, the sheriff’s office reported. Flores, of Lutz, is on state probation for trafficking in counterfeit credit cards.  The two men have been arrested on suspicion of possession of two or more counterfeited credit cards.  [Source: News-Press]

Costco owes Tiffany $19.4 million for fake Tiffany rings

A federal judge on Monday said Tiffany & Co may recover at least $19.4 million in damages from Costco Wholesale over the warehouse club chain’s illegal sale of counterfeit diamond engagement rings bearing the “Tiffany” name.  US District Judge Laura Taylor Swain said Tiffany deserves $11.1 million, plus interest, representing triple the lost profit from Costco’s trademark infringement, plus the $8.25 million in punitive damages awarded by a jury last October. The Manhattan judge also permanently barred Costco from selling anything that Tiffany did not make as “Tiffany” products, unless it uses modifiers suggesting that the products have, for example, a Tiffany “setting,” “set” or “style.” Tiffany had sued Costco on Valentine’s Day in 2013. While the case concerned only about 2,500 rings, Tiffany sued to protect its brand and cachet as one of the world’s best-known luxury retailers.Tiffany last month named industry veteran Alessandro Bogliolo as its new chief executive, to help arrest declines in same-store sales as millennials spend elsewhere on accessories.

Costco had argued that “Tiffany” had become a generic term, excusing its use on a standalone basis. But the judge found Costco’s defenses “not credible,” given evidence that displays of fine jewelry were a key part of the Issaquah, Washington-based company’s marketing strategy. Salespeople “described such rings as ‘Tiffany’ rings in response to customer inquiries, and were not perturbed when customers who then realized that the rings were not actually manufactured by Tiffany expressed anger or upset,” Swain wrote. Meanwhile, Costco’s upper management “displayed at best a cavalier attitude toward Costco’s use of the Tiffany name in conjunction with ring sales and marketing,” the judge added. The jury had awarded Tiffany $5.5 million rather than $3.7 million for lost profit. Swain found the lower sum sufficient. Leigh Harlan, Tiffany’s general counsel, in a statement said the decision “sends a clear and powerful message” to anyone seeking to infringe the New York-based company’s trademark. “We brought this case because we felt a responsibility to protect the value of our customers’ purchases and to ensure that Costco’s customers were not misled,” she said.  [Source: CNBC]

Woman suspected of 9 burglaries bitten by police K-9

A woman arrested in connection to a burglary at a Janesville, Wisconsin, bar is suspected in eight other burglaries and was bitten by a police K-9 when she was taken into custody, according to a release from Janesville police. Officers were called to the Drunken Monkey bar for an alarm. They said that when they arrived, they spotted a woman inside who tried to get out, but retreated back into the building when she saw officers outside. Police said the woman refused to come out and they decided to send in officers, along with K-9 Fred, who found the woman attempting to hide in the basement. Officers said the woman refused to follow commands and was bitten by K-9 Fred. Amanda M. Rodden-Clawson, 25, was treated at Mercy Hospital for puncture wounds to her right arm and released.

Rodden-Clawson was arrested in connection with numerous crimes in Janesville: Two burglaries at Bad Brad’s bar on July 3 and July 13;  Three burglaries at Drunken Monkey bar on July 26, Aug. 1 and August 14;  Burglary at Game Day bar August 8; Two burglaries and thefts of motor vehicles at Best Events on August 10 and August 14;  Burglary to Down the Street on August 14;  Criminal damage and trespass on August 13; Retail theft and obstructing at Kohls Department Store on August 8.  Rodden-Clawson was arrested on suspicion of nine counts of burglary, seven counts of theft, five counts of criminal damage, two counts of operating a motor vehicle without owner’s consent and one count each of obstructing, retail theft and trespass.  [Source: Channel 3000]

Home Depot reports historic quarterly sales

The Home Depot reported Tuesday quarterly sales of $28.1 billion for the second quarter of 2017, which is a 6.2 percent increase over the same period last year. “We were pleased with our results this quarter as our customers rewarded us with the highest quarterly sales in company history,” says Home Depot chairman, CEO and president Craig Menear. “We also achieved the highest quarterly net earnings in company history. These results were made possible by our hardworking associates and the outstanding values brought forth by our supplier partners.” In addition to overall sales increases, Home Depot saw comparable store sales increases of 6.3 percent.

The Atlanta-based home improvement retailer reported average ticket sales of $63.05 and $464.38 in sales per square foot during the quarter. As a result of these sales increases, the company adjusted its guidance for the fiscal year to 5.3 percent sales growth, up from 4.6 percent, and 5.5 percent growth in comparable store sales, up from 4.6 percent. In addition to strong sales in the second quarter, Home Depot purchased a power equipment and maintenance rental service for $265 million, which the company says will help it to continue focusing on its pro customer base. Home Depot has consistently reported  strong sales in recent years, which the retailer has previously credited to the housing market. In its 2016 annual report, the company reported 2,281 retail stores in North America.  [Source: Channel 3000]

The post Breaking News in the Industry: August 16, 2017 appeared first on LPM.

Arizona man arrested for stealing, selling almost $10K of baby formula

A Chandler man faces dozens of felony charges for allegedly stealing baby formula from Frys Food Stores across the Valley, then re-selling the merchandise. Robert Illa was arrested on August 8. He’s accused of shoplifting and selling close to $10K worth of baby formula. According to the police report, Illa would enter various Fry’s stores with an empty shopping cart, select the formula and other items, then leave the store without paying. Police believe he would also use a blue tote bag, also stolen from Fry’s, to haul out the stolen goods. Chandler police say when they stopped his car on August 8, he was in possession of 22 tubs of baby formula and a large blue tote bag. The police report reads: “I asked him why he was shoplifting the baby formula and other merchandise and he said to support his heroin addiction.” The police report also states that Illa said he “shoplifts the product and immediately sells it to a fence location for cash. He then goes directly to his dealer to purchase the heroin.” When he was arrested, police say he was already on probation for possession of narcotic drugs. He now faces multiple charges of organized retail theft, possession of stolen property and trafficking in stolen property. [Source: AZfamily]

Lawsuit revived over Apple retail workers’ pay during security checks

Should Apple retail workers in California be paid for time spent having their purses, backpacks and other belongings checked to make sure they didn’t steal any of Cupertino’s goods… after they have punched out? Ruling in a class-action lawsuit brought by Apple retail workers, a federal judge answered “no,” California law doesn’t require Apple to pay for that time, even though it’s mandatory that employees who bring purses or other bags to work get them searched while they’re off the clock. The worker-wage dispute with one of the world’s richest companies didn’t end there. Lawyers for the class-action lawsuit representing thousands of Apple retail workers in California appealed that 2015 decision to the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals.  On Wednesday, the appeals court said it couldn’t come to any conclusion in a dispute that the court said had widespread ramifications for California workers who go through security checks at companies like Marshalls, Nordstrom, Federal Express, Best Buy, and other workplaces.

The federal appeals court said the answer to whether California wage laws apply to time spent on security checks should be decided by the California Supreme Court. So the appeals court on Wednesday asked the state Supreme Court to weigh in. It’s a rare practice for the nation’s appeals courts to request—in what is known as a certified question—that the top courts in states interpret controversial issues involving state law. In short, the suit claims that Apple retail employees spend as much as 20 minutes off the clock having their bags searched to combat employee theft every time they leave work. Apple claims that the searches only take seconds and that they are not “required” for workers who don’t bring purses, backpacks, briefcases, or other bags to work. Apple retail workers, in a 2012 letter to Apple chief Tim Cook, said the policy amounted to treating employees like “criminals.” The appeals court said the issue was a close call and best left to the California Supreme Court.  [Source: arsTechnica]

Two Connecticut women accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of clothing

Two 18-year-old Connecticut women are facing an organized retail crime charge after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of clothing from the mall this past weekend. On Saturday just before 8 p.m., a Salem, New Hampshire, police officer who was working a detail at the Mall at Rockingham Park, New Hampshire, called for backup, saying he was trying to catch two women believed to have shoplifted from Macy’s.

 The officer saw the two women as they were leaving and was able to give a description of both, as well as their vehicle, police said.

Police spotted the vehicle traveling on Rockingham Park Boulevard and were able to stop it.

 Police said they found the two women, identified as Renee Lewis, 18, and Leona Jones, 18. Another woman was in the car, but police said she was not involved; she was later released.

 Police were given consent to search the vehicle and found many items of clothing that appeared to be new, with the price tags still on. 

The two were arraigned at Salem District Court on Monday.

Lewis and Jones are facing a charge of organized retail crime enterprise. Lewis is also facing charges of disobeying an officer, marijuana possession and transporting drugs in a motor vehicle. 

Bail was initially set at $2,500 cash for the two Hartford, Connecticut., women.  [Source: NH Union Leader]

Couple exploited retailer’s website glitch, tried to steal $250K in goods

A husband and wife are accused of exploiting a glitch in Lowe’s and possibly other store websites in an attempt to steal more than $250,000-worth of items and then resell them online.  Kimy Velazquez, 40, and Romela Velazquez, 24, of Brick, stole enough items from the home-improvement store to fill an 18-foot trailer, according to a statement released by Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato and Brick police Chief James Riccio. A spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Al Della Fave, however, would not say how the couple exploited the store’s website. And a spokesperson for Lowe’s did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Authorities say the items they actually received, which included a smart TV, a surround sound stereo system and $2,500 in Victoria Secret underwear, totaled $12,971. But, authorities say, they attempted to get approximately $258,068 worth of items.  The Harding Drive couple had the items delivered to their home and then sold them on a local Facebook group for less than half the original price, according to the statement.

On August 3, authorities with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Investigations Unit and the Brick Township Police Department raided the couple’s home to find what authorities said “resembled more of a warehouse than a home.” Authorities found a laundry list of household appliances and items, and also a Nikon D500 Camera, 70-inch Vizio LED smart TV, multiple boxes of Ugg shoes, multiple boxes of furniture and an aluminum gazebo. Della Fave said other items not purchased from Lowe’s were found at the couple’s house. He said additional charges may be filed as detectives contact those stores. Romela Valazquez was charged with computer criminal activity, theft by deception for attempting to obtain merchandise totaling approximately $258,068 and theft by deception for the receipt of approximately $12,971 worth of merchandise without payment. Kimy Velazquez was charged with receipt of stolen property and fencing. Both were released from jail.  [Source: NJ.com]

Maryland man stole cellphones from store

A Maryland man was jailed Tuesday after being accused of stealing four Apple iPhone 7s from a Richland Township business and scuffling with an employee, authorities said. Township police charged Antonio G. Brock, 23, of Capitol Heights, with robbery, retail theft, institutional vandalism and false identification to police. In a criminal complaint, police said Brock entered Rockin V Wireless at 6:35 p.m. Monday and walked to the back of the store as if heading to a restroom. Police allege a surveillance video shows that Brock instead entered the storeroom and pocketed merchandise with a total value of $3,533. When an employee confronted him, Brock fought with the employee, then fled in a silver Chevrolet Impala with a Maryland license plate. Police stopped the car where Brock told police his name was Jamal Lyons. Brock was arraigned by on-call District Judge Mary Ann Zanghi of Vinco and sent to the Cambria County Prison after failing to post 10 percent of $50,000.  [Source: The Tribune-Democrat]

Miami resident sentenced to prison for stolen $2M identity refund fraud scheme

A Miami-Dade County, Florida resident was sentenced to 70 months in prison for his role in a stolen identity refund fraud scheme, announced Acting US Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. According to documents and information provided to the court, from approximately 2008 through January 2015, in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, Jean Leroy Destine, 36, and others, obtained stolen IDs, to include the personal identifying information of prisoners and deceased individuals. They used this information to prepare and file with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) approximately 2,000 tax returns seeking more than $2 million in fraudulent refunds. Destine and his co-conspirators covered their tracks by recruiting individuals to obtain Electronic Filing Identification Numbers (EFINs) in their names from the IRS and then used these EFINs to electronically file the fraudulent returns.

The conspirators directed the refunds to debit cards as well as treasury checks mailed to various addresses. The refund checks were cashed at different check cashing stores and funds were withdrawn from the debit cards at Western Union locations and ATMs. In addition to the term of prison imposed, US District Judge Federico A. Moreno ordered Destine to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $2,108,000.00 in restitution to the IRS. Destine pleaded guilty in May 2017 to one count of a multi-object conspiracy to defraud the IRS, commit wire fraud and commit aggravated identity theft and one count of aggravated identity theft. Acting US Attorney Greenberg and Acting Assistant Attorney General Goldberg commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant US Attorney Neil Karadbil of the Southern District of Florida and Assistant Chief Greg Tortella of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.  [Source: Department of Justice]

The post Breaking News in the Industry: August 17, 2017 appeared first on LPM.

A suspected shoplifter at a Walmart store in Colorado was shot to death by a Colorado Springs police officer after a chase, authorities said. Police were called to the store Monday night, said El Paso County Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Jacqueline Kirby. The suspect was identified and shot after the chase, she said, but it wasn’t immediately known if the suspect was armed. The officer was placed on paid leave. Further details weren’t immediately available. The officer won’t be identified until that person’s family is notified and a mental health exam is completed, likely within a few days, Colorado Springs police spokesman Lieutenant Howard Black said. The sheriff’s office is investigating under a 2015 state law that requires police to obtain outside help reviewing police shootings.  We will continue to follow this story and bring you additional information as it becomes available.  [Source: Colorado Springs Patch]

The post Colorado Springs Police Shoot Suspected Shoplifter to Death appeared first on LPM.

Identity released of alleged shoplifter killed in Colorado Springs [Update]

In our LP Insider yesterday (Thursday), we brought you a story about a Colorado Springs Police Officer who shot, and fatally wounded a suspected shoplifter. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office released the identity of the man, along with additional information about this tragic event. The suspect, Steven James Young, was running from police when he brandished what police thought was a gun at officers, according to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.  At that point, the officer got out his weapon and fired. It was later discovered that the “firearm” was a Crosman Vigilante pellet pistol, which is almost an exact replica of a firearm. 

Young was wanted on four felony warrants including a Fugitive from Justice warrant from the Colorado Department of Corrections, Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft, and multiple counts of Vehicular Eluding. A Jeep Cherokee stolen from CSPD’s jurisdiction on June 26, 2017, was found in the East Platte Walmart parking lot immediately after the shooting. It was positively identified as being driven by Young in three previous police pursuits.. [Source: NewsChannel13]

Two suspects rob store, pepper spray LP

Police Tuesday sought the public’s help in identifying two suspects who stole multiple sets of Beats headphones from a Van Nuys, California,  store, with one of them blasting a security officer with pepper spray, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. A man and a woman walked what police identified only as “a major retail store,” and the man removed the headphones from a display rack and placed them in a shopping bag. “The female suspect acted as the lookout while the male removed the items and concealed them inside the bag,” according to a police statement. A loss prevention associate watching surveillance video saw what the two were doing, police said. As the suspects headed for the exit, another LP associate attempted to stop them, but the man pepper sprayed the officer and the two escaped.

Both suspects were described as Hispanic and between 23 and 26 years old. The man is 5 feet 6 to 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs about 140 to 150 pounds and has something tattooed on his left inner elbow area. He was wearing a black baseball cap, white T-shirt and black shorts. The woman is 5 feet 2 to 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighs about 130 to 150 pounds and was wearing a red shirt and tan pants. The two, accompanied by a young girl, were recorded on surveillance video the day before at a McDonalds in San Fernando. Images from the restaurant were distributed by police, who ask that anyone with information about the suspects call the Van Nuys Station at 818-374-0081. After hours and weekend calls should be directed to 877-LAPD-24-7. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers by calling 800-222-TIPS.  [Source: Los Angeles Daily News]

Two arrested in connection with prepaid card fraud scheme

Two of four suspects detectives say were involved in a scheme to fraudulently purchase $28,000 in prepaid credit cards have been arrested. Uresi Abdulmalik and Michael Battle, both of Atlanta, Georgia were charged with racketeering, money laundering, bank fraud, organized scheme to defraud and grand theft for their role in the plan. Battle was arrested in Richmond County, Georgia, and has refused to cooperate with investigators. Abdulmalik and Battle, according to court records, arranged in January to buy the prepaid cards from a Tallahassee Walmart by reaching out through a mutual friend of a Money Center cashier, Zana Gavin.

Court records indicate Leon County Sheriff’s Office detectives have probable cause to arrest Gavin and the go between, Derrick Toombs. It is unclear if they’ve been taken into custody, but Toombs declined to be interviewed by LCSO investigators. Gavin told investigators she was promised she would be paid as much as $3,000 for her assistance in the scheme. Abdulmalik and Battle asked to purchase 56 $500 gift cards at the West Tennessee Street Walmart. Gavin provided the cards and navigated around the store’s security system. No money, either in the form of cash or debit card, changed hands during the transaction, according to LCSO. The men then took the cards to several Publix stores in Tallahassee and purchased money orders to launder the stolen funds, according to court records.   [Source: Tallahassee Democrat]

Target clerk charged with theft of cellphones

A Stamford, Connecticut, Target department store clerk has been accused of stealing several cellphones worth more than $3,400. Sergeant Michael Scatamacchia said police were contacted by loss prevention associates about a clerk who was seen stealing the phones. Scatamacchia said the LP associates reported seeing Miller Leveille ringing up a $957 Apple iPhone and voiding the sale. He was then seen handing the phone to a woman who left the store without paying. About a week later, Leveille was seen taking four phones from a storage locker and placing them into a black bag, according to reports. He then retrieved the bag 15 minutes later and left the store without paying for the phones, Leveille was seen the next day twice ringing up cellphones at his register without a customer near his checkout. Loss prevention reported Leveille was responsible for stealing $3,406 worth of cellular devices, Scatamacchia said. Leveille was charged this week with third-degree larceny.  [Source: Stamford Advocate]

Walmart beats on earnings, same-store sales climb as online purchases grow 60%

Walmart on Thursday reported second-quarter earnings and sales that topped Street expectations, as the big-box retailer made further gains in its online business. Fresh digital initiatives and a growing assortment of products on Walmart.com aided the retailer in boosting online transactions by 60 percent, the company said. Last quarter, e-commerce sales climbed 63 percent, compared with 29 percent growth in the prior quarter. Although many retailers are struggling to draw shoppers in, Walmart posted same-store sales growth at its US locations for the 12th-consecutive quarter, fueled by traffic growth of 1.3 percent, the company said. Despite the news, shares of Walmart were down more than 2.5 percent during pre-market trading.

Here’s what Walmart reported compared to what Wall Street was expecting, based on a Thomson Reuters survey of analysts: Earnings of $1.08 a share, adjusted, compared with a forecast profit of $1.07 per share; Revenue was $123.36 billion versus an estimate of $122.84 billion; Same-store sales for US stores, excluding fuel, climbed 1.7 percent, matching expectations. “This isn’t a blow-away report … it’s a solid report,” Gordon Haskett analyst Chuck Grom told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” Walmart’s stock has been a “big outperformer” of late, Grom added, which can lead to a temporary sell-off, “even if the print is perfect.”

The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer said it earned 96 cents per share during the period. Excluding one-time charges, the company earned $1.08 a share. Walmart’s total sales climbed 2.1 percent from a year ago, to $123.36 billion. This consisted of 3.3 percent sales growth at Walmart US stores, a 1 percent decline in revenues for Walmart’s international business and 2.3 percent growth across Sam’s Club. Walmart’s US comparable sales — a metric closely watched by the Street for retailers — increased 1.8 percent, including fuel. Excluding gasoline sales, comps in the US were up 1.7 percent, which consisted of growth of 1.2 percent at Sam’s Club, and an increase of 1.8 percent at Walmart stores. Retail rival Target on Wednesday reported better-than-expected digital sales growth, as it saw more shoppers returning to its stores and online for “quick trips” — ringing up smaller purchases, but more frequently. As of Wednesday’s market close, shares of Walmart have climbed about 11 percent over the past 12 months. This far outpaces the S&P 500 Retail ETF’s (XRT) declines of about 15 percent over the period.   [Source: CNBC]

Global cybersecurity spending to grow 7 percent to $86.4B in 2017

Analyst Gartner is projecting that worldwide spending on IT security products and services will grow seven per cent, year over year, to reach a total of $86.4 billion in 2017, suggesting opportunities for security startups to tap into rising demand for specialist b2b services. Within the infrastructure protection segment, the analyst is forecasting fast growth in the security testing market, though it notes this is coming from a small base. Factors that Gartner points to as driving spending here include continued data breaches and growing demand for app security testing. Another area it expects to contribute towards growth in the segment through 2021 is spending on emerging application security testing tools, particularly interactive application security testing. The fastest growing segment will be security services, according to the analyst — especially IT outsourcing, consulting and implementation services.

By contrast it expects hardware support services to see growth slowing due to the adoption of technologies such as virtual appliances, public cloud and SaaS editions of security solutions — which it notes will reduce the need for attached hardware support overall. Another factor it flags up as creating renewed interest in IT security spending — and data loss prevention buying decisions specifically — is the European Union’s incoming General Data Protection Regulation, which is due to come into force in May 2018. Despite some opportunities for new security-related technologies and services to cater to an expanding market, Gartner’s argues organizations should be doubling down on “basic security and risk related hygiene elements” — citing the likes of threat centric vulnerability management; centralized log management; internal network segmentation; backups and system hardening as some of those key and core security elements which he says are now “more important than ever.” [Source: TechCrunch]

The post Breaking News in the Industry: August 18, 2017 appeared first on LPM.

Good Samaritan steps in, tackles shoplifting suspect fleeing police

Port St. Lucie, Florida, Police have arrested a man in connection to shoplifting at a Walmart. They said a passerby jumped in to nab the suspect. Police said a man dressed in black tried to walk out without paying for a mattress and sheets in his shopping cart. When Walmart loss prevention confronted him, a full-on pursuit ensued. Police said as soon as they responded to store on St. Lucie West Boulevard, the responding officer started chasing after the suspect. Surveillance footage shows them zig-zagging through the parking lot until one shopper bolted in and ran after the suspect.”As soon as he tackles the guy the cops converge and it gave us enough time to subdue on the suspect,” said PSLPD spokesperson Frank Sabol.

Sabol said police never got the name of the man who stepped in.  “The Good Samaritan, if you want call him that, saw that the officer was losing ground and took over the foot chase and he left.” Police said investigators identified the suspect as 31-year-old Pierre Raymonvil. And while they appreciate the thought, Sabol said the Good Samaritan’s help was
not necessary and not recommended. “We had officers in the area,” he said. “I’m pretty confident we would have caught him.” The suspect is being charged with grand theft as well as resisting the store and police.  [Source: WBPF25 News]

Shoplifter turned himself in after a video showed him in the spotlight

The suspect caught on camera stealing alcohol in a Yemassee, South Carolina, shoplifting incident Tuesday night turned himself into police on Wednesday afternoon, according to police. Management at Yemassee Highway Horizon E-Z Shop declined to press charges, but a trespass notice was issued against the man and he was asked to pay for the items he stole, according to a Yemassee Police Department news release. The suspect was identified after investigators “canvassed the town” and were able to get a positive identification for the man, according to the release. The department expressed thanks to the community for helping to identify the suspect in less than 24 hours.  [Source: The Beaufort Gazette]

Suspected thief tosses cash and debit cards as police chase him

When a SunTrust bank employee saw a man dipping multiple debit cards into an ATM and getting cash, he became suspicious and called police, authorities said. After a foot chase during which Alexander Iracahe tossed $2,440 and a dozen debit cards into bushes and on top of a storm drain, Hallandale Beach police officers caught up with him about 8 PM Sunday, the arrest report said. Iracahe, 32, of Hallandale Beach, Florida, is accused of using homemade debit cards with magnetic strips that contained information for 12 bank accounts that were not his, Detective Chris Grieco said Friday. “What we are investigating are the compromised account numbers and the theft of the funds from three different banking institutions so far,” Grieco said. Iracahe’s attorney could not be reached for comment. It was not yet known Friday how much money was stolen from the banks, Grieco said.

Among the recovered evidence were plain white cards that had PINs written on them. Gift cards were also seized, and all of the cards had bank account information on the magnetic strips, police said. “You see somebody at an ATM with a hoodie on and sunglasses at 9:30 at night, that’s a red flag,” Grieco said. “And then if they’re sitting there dipping cards in and out of the ATM. … It can happen if someone has two or three accounts and is doing their banking, but if they’re using 10-15 cards…” Iracahe was arrested on suspicion of passing a forged or falsely embossed or altered credit card; two counts of fraudulent use or possession of another person’s identification without consent; six counts of resisting an officer without violence and seven counts of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. He was released from a Broward County jail on a $12,100 bond. Hallandale Police ask anyone who thinks their accounts have been compromised to call 954-457-1400 and make a report with an officer.  [Source: SunSentinel

Haitian jailed in stolen identity $2.1M refund fraud scheme

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) says a Haitian national residing in Miami-Dade County in Florida has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for his role in a stolen identity refund fraud scheme. According to documents and information provided to the court, from about 2008 through January 2015, in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, Jean Leroy Destine, 36, and others, obtained stolen IDs, to include the personal identifying information of prisoners and deceased individuals. The DOJ said on Monday that they used this information to prepare and file with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about 2,000 tax returns seeking more than US$2 million in fraudulent refunds. “Destine and his co-conspirators covered their tracks by recruiting individuals to obtain Electronic Filing Identification Numbers (EFINs) in their names from the IRS and then used these EFINs to electronically file the fraudulent returns,” the DOJ said. “The conspirators directed the refunds to debit cards as well as treasury checks mailed to various addresses,” it added. “The refund checks were cashed at different check cashing stores, and funds were withdrawn from the debit cards at Western Union locations and ATMs.” In addition to the term of prison imposed, the DOJ said US District Judge Federico A. Moreno on Monday ordered Destine to serve three years of supervised release and to pay US$2,108,000.00 in restitution to the IRS. The DOJ said Destine pleaded guilty in May 2017 to one count of a multi-object conspiracy to defraud the IRS, commit wire fraud and commit aggravated identity theft, and one count of aggravated identity theft.  [Source: Caribbean Life]

Couple charged with switching price tickets

Police say a China Grove, North Carolina, couple was charged after a loss prevention officer caught them switching the price tags of lower-priced items with those of higher-priced items at Walmart. Meredith Kristen Simmons, 27, of the 100 block of Chasity Lane, was charged with felony larceny, Austin Honeycutt, also of the same address, was charged with felony larceny of stolen goods, misdemeanor second-degree trespassing and misdemeanor possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance.  The loss prevention officer at Walmart spotted the two switching the tags and stopped them as they went to the register to ring up the items, a police report said. The two bought toys worth $187, $26 worth of personal accessories, and a $14 belt, according to the report. Two young children were with Simmons and Honeycutt in the store at the time. Simmons has been released from the Rowan County Detention Center under a $1,000 secured bond. Honeycutt was jailed under a $10,000 bond. Simmons has a number of previous convictions including felony breaking and entering, felony drug possession, and maintaining a dwelling for controlled substances.  [Source: WBTV3 News]

Kentucky man arrested after string of e-cig store burglaries

Metro Police have arrested a man in connection with several burglaries of E-cigarette stores that have occurred throughout the city in the past week. Tobias Enix, 18, has been charged with 11 counts of third-degree burglary, one count of receiving stolen property and one count of criminal mischief. Enix’s arrest comes after Troy LeBlanc, owner of Derb-E-Cigs, said a man broke into his Middletown store early Wednesday morning and then broke into his Poplar Level store Friday morning. LeBlanc believed it was the same suspect at both stores based on surveillance footage, which showed a man taking cash and merchandise from each store. LeBlanc says the theft and damages are estimated to be between $5,000 and $6,000. Metro Police say the investigation into the string of burglaries is ongoing and additional charges may be forthcoming. [Source: WHAS11 News]

One of the ugliest stores in retail is crushing its competition

Ross Stores is breaking all the rules of traditional retail, and it has become an unstoppable force as a result.  Many of the retailer’s stores are messy and disorganized, with aisles of empty shelves and bare walls. In some stores, the fitting rooms are “dirty,” the service is “horrible,” and merchandise is mislabeled, ink-stained, broken, or damaged, according to an analysis of dozens of customer reviews on Yelp.  But in those same reviews, customers complaining about the state of the stores admit they love shopping in them for the “insane” deals.

“I LOVE SHOPPING AT ROSS!” one customer wrote on Yelp, adding that she feels like she’s “robbing the bank” when she finds deals there.  Another wrote: “I love this place for cheap clothes. It’s just always so dirty, dank and full of screaming children.” The company’s most recent quarter far outshone the rest of the industry, with overall sales gains of 8% to $3.4 billion, and same-store sales gains of 4%, on top of 4% growth last year.  The company’s shares soared more than 10% on the news Friday. Ross owns more than 1,500 stores in 37 states under the banners “Ross Dress For Less” and “dd’s DISCOUNTS,” and it’s opening more than 80 stores annually at a time when department stores are losing sales and shutting down hundreds of stores.  [Source: Yahoo! Finance]

The post Breaking News in the Industry: August 21, 2017 appeared first on LPM.

Alleged shoplifter, clerk fight with golf clubs, machete at convenience store

An alleged shoplifter and a store clerk got into a physical altercation that involved two golf clubs and a machete at a 7-Eleven in South Sacramento, California. According to the Sacramento Police Department, the suspect entered the store on Friday and took an item without paying. The clerk then confronted the suspect, who police say returned to his car to grab a “dull machete” and a golf club intending to attack the clerk. The clerk had a golf club of his own, and the two traded blows. The fight then “went back into the store,” where the clerk retrieved a wooden board. This prompted the suspect to get into his car and attempt to flee, but not before the clerk smashed one of his windows with his club.  [Source: SF Gate]

5 people arrested in shoplifting sting

Five Oxnard, California, residents were arrested during a sting operation targeting shoplifters at a drugstore, authorities said.  Oxnard police said the Rite Aid in Ventura has been a hot spot in recent years for theft and other calls for police services. The store is among several retailers the Oxnard Police Department is teaming up with to reduce crime, authorities said.  Friday’s operation at the store involved a team of plainclothes officers who worked with employees from 2-8 p.m. to catch thieves. The employees would signal the officers when they saw a theft occurring and the officers would detain people who left the store without paying, police said.  Five people were arrested on suspicion of theft, including an Oxnard woman who was with her infant, authorities said. She allegedly encouraged a 16-year-old girl to steal and was later arrested on suspicion of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and conspiracy to commit a theft, authorities said.  [Source: Ventura County Star]

Woman sues retailer, says man took photos up her skirt

A Williamson County, Tennessee woman is suing the Nordstrom Rack store in Brentwood, Tennessee, alleging that one of its employees was negligent in handling a man who police say took photos up the woman’s skirt while shopping. The woman, named as Jane Doe in the lawsuit filed in Williamson County Circuit Court, was shopping in the store’s juniors section on Aug. 6, 2016, when she noticed a man who appeared to be closely following her, the lawsuit says.  Police say that man was Brentwood resident Houman Shirinsouei, who owns Adonis Auto Sales in Nashville. Shirinsouei and Nordstrom Inc. are also defendants in the lawsuit. After moving farther away from Shirinsouei, Jane Doe, who was 19 at the time, says she was approached by a Nordstrom loss prevention associate who flashed a badge at her. The employee, who’s not named in the lawsuit, was a loss prevention associate who informed the plaintiff that Shirinsouei “had been previously reported as having taken inappropriate pictures of women who were shopping at Nordstrom’s store and conducted himself in a ‘creepy’ manner,” the lawsuit says.

The associate then told Jane Doe he would be “right back” and entered into one of the store offices.  After she waited for the employee for 10 to 15 minutes, Shirinsouei squatted down near Jane Doe and took unauthorized photos up her dress, the lawsuit says.  With no sign of the LP associate, Jane Doe followed Shirinsouei to the parking lot and took photos of his license plate for police to identify him. Police later arrived at the store, where an officer went to the back office to discuss the incident with Jane Doe and the loss prevention employee, the lawsuit says. The employee then played video surveillance of Jane Doe, which showed Shirinsouei taking photos up her skirt, the lawsuit said. It noted that this was the second instance of Shirinsouei taking photos up Jane Doe’s skirt, but doesn’t describe when the first instance occurred. “It was thus clear that Nordstrom’s loss prevention employee had been watching the surveillance footage live and paused the video at the moment of the second incident,” the lawsuit says. “Essentially Nordstrom was using the plaintiff as bait as its loss prevention associate ‘played cop,’ exposing the plaintiff to much greater harm.” Jane Doe is seeking $1.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages from Nordstrom Inc., $1.5 million from the Nordstrom Rack in Brentwood and $4 million from Shirinsouei.  Shirinsouei filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on August 10, a month after the lawsuit was filed.  [Source: Tennessean]

LP Worldwide: Supermarket forced to apologize to furious couple stopped and searched by staff

Aldi has been forced to apologies to an Exeter, United Kingdom, couple after searching them on suspicion of shoplifting in broad daylight in the car park of the supermarket. Susan Osborne, 65, says her and taxi-driver husband Kevin were stopped and searched in an “embarrassing” and “unprofessional” manner and made to feel like “common criminals” next to Kevin’s car. His car is branded with his own taxi company, Hart Taxi’s, its phone number and even its address. 
The incident happened on Thursday, at the Pinhoe branch and has left the pair furious with the budget supermarket giant. Mrs Osborne said: “We were made to feel like criminals and I can’t believe the search of a bag with shopping from elsewhere wasn’t done at in a private office. When I worked at Sainsbury’s that was the normal thing to do if you thought someone had shoplifted. 
Instead a staff member and supervisor routed through our pull along trial in the middle of the car park. They said it was because they had a ‘stop and search’ policy and never said sorry. We were treated like common thieves.” According to Susan they have already had a phone call accusing Mr Osborne of “shoplifting as a side line.” Aldi say they have now apologized to Mr. and Mrs. Osborne, who have been shopping at the branch since it first opened off Exhibition Way. An Aldi spokesperson said: “We have apologised to Ms. Osborne for her experience in our Pinhoe store. “This matter should have been handled differently and we have spoken with our employees involved to remind them of the correct procedure.”   [Source: DevonLive]

Men dressed as women steal lingerie from lingerie store

Four people carried out a major lingerie heist at the South Hill Mall in Puyallup, Washington on Thursday. The suspects were initially identified as four women, but police believe that at least two of the suspects were men dressed up as women. According to police, the four suspects entered the Victoria’s Secret at the South Hill Mall just before 1 p.m. Thursday. Two distracted an employee while the other two stuffed Macy’s bags with approximately $1,000 in merchandise. The four made it out of the store undetected, but a loss prevention associate from Macy’s had his eye out for the suspects because he had seen them grab the Macy’s bags from his store earlier in the day. The loss prevention associate confronted the four suspects outside the mall, but they ran away from him. One of the suspects dropped a bag full of about $384 in lingerie. The rest of the lingerie is still out there, police said..  [Source: Puyallup Patch]

Illinois man sentenced to prison for theft conviction

Selling fishing reels he stole from a Coles County store in Illinois led to a prison sentence for the man who took them. Blake A. Hampton, 21, pleaded guilty to a theft charge that accused him of stealing merchandise from the Charleston Walmart on May 25. The value of the stolen items meant the charge would be have been a misdemeanor with a first offense. However, Hampton was charged with a felony because of his criminal record, which included an earlier burglary conviction. With the agreement reached in his case, he was sentenced to maximum prison sentence possible, three years; prison time wasn’t required.

Records in the case say a Walmart employee identified Hampton as the man who took about $200 in fishing reels from the store without paying for them. When questioned by police, Hampton admitted taking the reels and selling some of them, and that he also committed other thefts at both the Charleston and Mattoon Walmart stores. Also with the agreement, a petition to revoke the probation sentence Hampton received for the burglary conviction was withdrawn. He’ll have a record of unsuccessfully completing the probation term, however. Coles County Circuit Judge Brien O’Brien sentenced Hampton by accepting the terms of a plea agreement that Assistant State’s Attorney Rob Scales and Public Defender Anthony Ortega recommended.  [Source: Journal Gazette]

The post Breaking News in the Industry: August 22, 2017 appeared first on LPM.

Charges are expected within days against a 32-year-old would-be robber with a violent criminal history who exchanged gunfire with a Verizon Wireless store clerk last week in an Inver Grove Heights strip mall in Minnesota, according to police. Meanwhile, they say they are still looking for an accomplice in the late-morning crime at the Verizon Wireless store . Also, police said, a second person has surfaced as being wounded by the gunfire. That victim was grazed by a bullet while in the Super Wok restaurant near the Verizon store, Lieutenant Joshua Otis said. Police have yet to say whose gunfire caused that injury. The wounded suspect, who is from Crystal, remains in Regions Hospital in St. Paul and was being treated for multiple gunshot wounds. Otis said police “are working closely with [members of] the Dakota County attorney’s office, and they should have a charging decision later this week.”

At the time of the attempted holdup, the 32-year-old was on probation for a theft in 2015 in Hennepin County, according to court records. His criminal history in Minnesota spans his entire adult life and also includes convictions for aiding and abetting assault with a dangerous weapon, accomplice after the fact to attempted murder, disorderly conduct and trespassing. His accomplice fled in a 2000 Honda Odyssey minivan, blueish-green and with Minnesota license plate 897RKM. The van has a dent on the rear passenger side of the hatch and another dent on the front passenger-side quarter panel, police said. Police did not release a detailed description of the man they hope to capture. The clerk, who has a government-issued permit to carry a firearm, drew his gun from his waistband and shot the 32-year-old suspect, police said. That suspect also fired his weapon, but police have not disclosed who shot first. The wounded suspect did not have a permit to carry a gun, Otis said. Police are withholding the identity of the clerk, who is employed by Cellular Connection, a partner of Verizon..  [Source: Star Tribune]

The post Armed Man Shot by Store Clerk Was on Probation for Theft appeared first on LPM.

Busted! Feds nail grocery store theft ring [Video]

Federal investigators say they’ve broken up an elaborate theft ring that preyed on grocery shoppers in Washington and several other states. According to court documents, eight people are now facing charges in connection to a series of thefts that took place between July of 2014 and November of 2015. Detectives say the suspects traveled across the country, often using aliases, to steal wallets from people while they were shopping at grocery stores. The suspects allegedly used debit cards, credit cards, and personal checks found inside the stolen wallets to make unauthorized withdrawals from the victims’ bank accounts. Investigators say the thefts resulted in $230,000 lost by victims in Washington alone.  Also, they say more than $500,000 was lost by victims in Minnesota, Oregon, California, Michigan, Texas, New Jersey, Ohio, and Utah. In King County, court documents list victims in Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah, Tacoma, Seattle, Woodinville, Mercer Island, and Tumwater.  They were targeted while shopping at various stores including Trader Joe’s, Metropolitan Market, Safeway, PCC Natural Markets, Haggen Food Grocery Store, QFC, Fred Meyer, and Whole Foods.

“The amount of money that they’ve taken, it’s mind blowing. It’s kinda like a movie, it seems a little unreal to me still,” said Katie Wallace. She became a victim in November of 2015.  She was shopping at the Metropolitan Market on North Proctor Street in Tacoma when she was targeted. Surveillance cameras inside the store caught the suspects as they closed in on her shopping cart. “It just, it happened like that,” she said.  “I didn’t even let go of my cart. My hands were on my cart the whole time.  I looked away for literally two seconds to grab something and turn around.  And by the time I went up front to pay, I realized my wallet was gone.” Within 30 minutes of taking her wallet, Wallace says the thieves had withdrawn $7,000 from her bank accounts. Reporters first interviewed Wallace in 2015, when the theft took place.  She says her bank covered the money that was lost, but she always hoped the police would find the people responsible. Then this week, Wallace got her wish.  A letter from the U.S. Department of Justice arrived at her home, letting her know that charges were filed. “To finally get a letter from the Department of Justice, saying that the people have been caught, it was pretty unbelievable,” said Ed Wallace, Katie’s husband.  “We were just relieved.” The suspects are due in federal court in Seattle on Tuesday afternoon for a detention hearing.  They’re also accused of laundering the stolen money by buying and selling homes in California. [Source: King5 News]

Theft scheme targeted retail stores; man faces charges

A Loxahatchee, Florida, man is facing charges of fraud and retail theft after he and an accomplice allegedly schemed to steal thousands of dollars from Home Depots throughout Palm Beach County as well as Martin and St. Lucie counties, according to an arrest report. Michael Johnson Hunnewell, 29, is facing seven counts of retail theft of $300 or more and fraud under $20,000. He was being held at the Palm Beach County Jail on Tuesday morning in lieu of $26,000 bail.The name of Hunnewell’s female accomplice is blacked out on the report, presumably because she has not been arrested.

The plan used by Hunnewell and the woman allegedly worked like this, as seen on surveillance video. The couple purchases laminate flooring, and the woman wheels the merchandise out of the store while Hunnewell keeps the receipt. Hunnewell then pushes another loaded cart of laminate flooring out the store. More than once, a store employee, according to the report, stops Hunnewell. Each time, Hunnewell shows his receipt and is allowed to leave with the stolen laminate. The Home Depots in Palm Beach County that were victims of the theft scheme included stores  in Jupiter; Palm Beach Gardens; Delray Beach; Boca Raton; Royal Palm Beach; West Palm Beach; Lake Worth, and Palm Springs. The thefts took place over a three-month period and resulted in a theft of $6,965.66, the report said. The sheriff’s report did not specify which stores were targeted in either Martin or St. Lucie counties.  [Source: PalmBeachPost]

Staples spinning off retail business

It’s official: Staples’ new private equity owner, Sycamore Partners, plans to split up the office supplies seller by spinning off its retail operations from its corporate sales unit.  In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Staples said it expects to separate its U.S. retail business and Canadian retail businesses into two separate Sycamore-affiliated entities. The carve out transactions would be independently financed and yield $1.35 billion for Staples Inc. Post-spinoff they would be run and managed independently, according to the filing. The remaining Staples business would then be the current North American Delivery unit, which includes Staples Advantage and Quill.com. To finance the transaction with Sycamore, Staples expects to take out a total of $4.25 billion in debt and will pay $145 million in fees and expenses related to the merger and carveouts, as well as another $156 million in fees related to the merger financing. A Staples spokesperson declined to comment or provide additional details about the transaction plans.   [Source: RetailDive]

Massachusetts man pleads guilty to ATM, Apple store thefts

A Lawrence, Massachusetts, man charged with breaking into ATM machines in three states and robbing an Apple store of $120,000 worth of merchandise pleaded guilty to a multitude of crimes Thursday in Salem Superior Court.  In all, David Barker, 40, pleaded guilty to 36 criminal counts including conspiracy, larceny of property valued over $250, malicious destruction of property, illegal possession of burglarious tools, breaking into a bank, receiving a stolen vehicle and more. Also, for probation violations, Barker was sentenced Thursday to six years in state prison to run concurrently with another four- to five-year sentence.  He will return to court in March 2018 for formal sentencing for his convictions in the ATM breaks, robberies and related charges.  A year ago, Barker was arrested and charged with the Apple store break-in along with burglaries in Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine over an eight-month span.  Barker was subsequently indicted by the Essex County grand jury on larceny, burglary, money laundering and theft charges. The breaks netted more than $300,000, according to investigators. He was arrested last summer after an early morning raid at his home and that of an alleged accomplice, Efrain Montero. Lawrence and state police seized $82,400 in cash, a 9 mm Ruger handgun, burglary tools, gloves and masks they allegedly used during the break-ins. Six cars also were seized, including a luxury BMW, according to prosecutors.

Barker was part of a “organized retail crime” operation with a “breaking-and-entering crew” that scouted locations and disabled surveillance cameras as they approached the Apple store and ATMs, Assistant District Attorney Philip Mallard said. The crew broke through walls adjoining ATMs, disabled alarms and then retreated to see if police would respond, Mallard said. Barker was involved in ATM break-ins in Wellesley, Billerica and Hanover, Killington, Vermont, and Berwick, Maine. Most of the breaks netted tens of thousands of dollars. However, in Berwick, Maine, the crew allegedly escaped with $172,000, Mallard said. On Christmas 2015, Montero gave two of his children computers allegedly stolen from an Apple store in Mansfield two months earlier. The children registered the gifts online with Apple, providing police with a digital trail to the stolen merchandise, Mallard said in court previously. On Thursday, answering questions posed by Judge Kenneth Salinger, Barker said he was born in Lawrence and after dropping out of high school in ninth grade he later earned his GED in 2001. At the time of his arrest, he was working for an office furniture installation company, he said.  Barker appeared in court Thursday wearing gray jail sweats. The judge allowed him one day to get his affairs in order at Middleton Jail before he is transferred to state prison.  [Source: Eagle Tribune]

Delaware amends data breach notification law

As reported in BNA Privacy Law Watch, on August 17, 2017, Delaware amended its data breach notification law, effective April 14, 2018. The Delaware law previously required companies to give notice of a breach to affected Delaware residents “as soon as possible” after determining that, as a result of the breach, “misuse of information about a Delaware resident has occurred or is reasonably likely to occur.” The prior version of the law did not require regulator notification. The amendments include several key provisions.

Under the revised law, the definition of “personal information” is expanded and now includes a Delaware resident’s first name or first initial and last name in combination with any one or more of the following data elements:

• Social Security number
• Driver’s license or state or federal identification card number
• Account number, credit card number or debit card number in combination with any required security code, access code or password that would permit access to a financial account
• Passport number
• A username or email address in combination with a password or security question and answer that would permit access to an online account
• Medical history, treatment or diagnosis by a health care professional, or DNA profile
• Health insurance identification number
• Biometric data
• An individual taxpayer identification number.

Companies will be required to offer credit monitoring services to affected individuals at no cost for one year if the breach includes a Delaware resident’s Social Security number. California’s breach notification law contains a similar requirement.  [Source: Hunton & Wiliams Law]

LP Worldwide: This man fell victim to ID fraud an incredible 29 times

A former company director has warned of the dangers of identity fraud, after scammers applied for 29 financial products in his name. The East Midlands man first realized he’d fallen victim to ID fraud after being posted a Laura Ashley credit card he had not applied for. It later emerged that scammers had used his personal details to apply for eight credit cards; seven current accounts; six loans, and five mail order accounts. Upon receiving an unsolicited credit card, the man immediately contacted the company’s fraud department and had his details added to the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (Cifas), a not for profit fraud prevention company, who maintains a victim of fraud database. Around £100 ($128) had been spent on credit cards in his name before the fraud was identified and stopped.

He said: “In subsequent months I found out the fraud was more prolific than I had anticipated. If the fraud hadn’t been identified and stopped, the fraudster could have racked up thousands of pounds worth of debt in my name.” This worrying case of fraud was revealed by credit reference agency Equifax, which stated that fraudsters could have gained access to his details from Companies House, “as he had previously been a company director.” According to fraud prevention body Cifas, company directors make up almost one in five (19%) of ID fraud victims, despite comprising less than 9% of the population. Data from Cifas also shows that 17% of company-director victims have been hit by ID fraud more than once.  [Source: Which?]

Miami man arrested in North Carolina, charged with credit card fraud ring

A suspect from Florida was arrested for stealing financial card information as part of a larger traveling crime ring, according to police in Lexington, North Carolina. Carlos Javier Abreu Morera, 24, of Miami, Florida, was charged with three counts of financial card forgery and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. According to the arrest report, Morera stole account numbers from RBD Royal Bank, Colonial Bank and Bank of America then added that information to fraudulent debit cards. Captain Michael Hunt said Morera has been under investigation by other agencies. Police said Morera is a part of a credit card ring that travels up and down the interstate committing financial card thefts. Morera is being held under a $250,000 secured bond. His court date is October 2.  [Source: The Dispatch]

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