Michigan police take down $300K theft-to-pawn ring
The owner of iPawn Shop in Detroit, and one store associate will be arraigned in 36th District Court on multiple felony charges stemming from a six-month criminal investigation by the Canton Police Department, Michigan State Police and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. Gasswan Usama Gargis, 38, of Commerce Township, is being arraigned on two misdemeanor charges and the following felony charges: one count of conducting a criminal enterprise; seven counts of organized retail crime, and six counts of receiving & concealing stolen property over $1,000. Trisha-Lynette Viado Razon, 20, of Orchard Lake, is being arraigned on two misdemeanor charges and the following felony charges: five counts of organized retail crime; and two counts of receiving & concealing stolen property over $1,000.
On June 12, the Canton Police Department executed a search warrant at the iPawn Shop on 8 Mile Road in Detroit, and at Gargis’ home in Commerce Township, resulting in the recovery of over $300,000 worth of new, in-box merchandise, including high-end electronics, kitchen appliances, generators, and power tools. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy said: “The defendants are allegedly responsible for thwarting over approximately $300,000 from major big box retailers in the metro Detroit area. These charges today are the result of months of tedious and exhaustive work by the Canton Police Department and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. This case should serve as notice that these wide-scale sales of stolen goods to pawn shop operations will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted in Wayne County.” [For more: Plymouth Patch]
Employee charged with suspected fraudulent returns scheme
Carlentz Desire, a 21-year-old former clerk at the Sears in Nanuet, New York, has been hit with three felony charges for allegedly printing false return slips totaling $5,483 and depositing the money for the returns in his bank account. On Tuesday, August 1, Desire’s store manager reported the alleged theft via phony return slips to Clarkstown PD. Following an investigation, Clarkstown PD agreed with the manager’s assessment of the situation, concluding that Desire transferred the monies from the false return slips directly onto his debit card. Officer Peter Walker told the Rockland County Times there was a total of five thefts over a five-week period. Desire faces two D felony charges of third degree grand larceny and third degree criminal possession of stolen property and one E felony charge of first degree falsification of business records. The Rockland County Times has not yet confirmed whether Desire has a criminal record or is a first-time offender. [For more: Rockland County Times]
Two defensive starters for Ole Miss arrested on shoplifting charges
Two Ole Miss defensive starters were arrested Tuesday night on shoplifting charges, and interim coach Matt Luke has suspended them for the September 3rd opener against South Alabama. According to a Lafayette County (Mississippi) Detention Center jail log, Oxford police arrested cornerback Ken Webster and linebacker Detric Bing-Dukes around 7:55 p.m. ET on Tuesday. They were released on bond about an hour later. Oxford Police Chief Joey East didn’t immediately respond to ESPN’s request for copies of incident reports on Wednesday morning. “We are gathering facts on the matter,” Luke said through a university spokesman.Luke was named the Rebels’ interim coach when former coach Hugh Freeze abruptly resigned last month. Webster, a junior from Decatur, Georgia, missed nearly all of the 2016 season after he injured his left knee on the opening defensive series of the first game. He started every game in 2015 and is expected to return to the starting lineup this season. Bing-Dukes, a junior from Tucker, Georgia, played in 11 games at middle linebacker last season, totaling 41 tackles with three tackles for loss. He transferred to Ole Miss from Iowa Western Community College, after redshirting at Georgia in 2014. On Thursday, Luke also said receiver Octavious Cooley has been suspended for an undisclosed violation of team rules. [For more: ESPN]
Would-be thief uses foil in attempt to thwart store’s security sensors
A 21-year-old woman from the Saginaw, Michigan, area took a crafty approach in her alleged attempt to steal from the Macy’s store on Big Beaver Rd. in Troy recently. According to Troy police, the woman was stopped by a loss prevention associate who found $888.73 worth of merchandise in her purse lined with aluminum foil which she thought could defeat the store’s anti-theft security sensors. She also had a wire cutting tool in her purse, police said. Following her arrest, the woman was charged with second-degree retail fraud and possession of burglary tools. [For more: Oakland Press]
Employee accused of stealing $2 million from law firm
A 48-year-old woman is accused of stealing more than $2 million from the law firm of Bernard “Bunny” Charbonnet Jr. where she worked as comptroller and office manager for more than nine years, according to police records. Latanya Arnold was arrested on felony theft, forgery and bank fraud. Her husband, Raymond Arnold, 48, was arrested on the same charges. Latanya Arnold withdrew money from six different Charbonnet accounts from 2008 to 2017, according to an application for an arrest warrant. She used the money to bail her son out of jail, to pay the lease for a Mercedes Benz vehicle, repay personal loans, and for expenses related to several companies she owns with her husband, including M&M Express and Vapor’s Edge, both domiciled in Slidell, the warrant states.
Charbonnet, first discovered the illegal activity in May when he noticed an unauthorized withdrawal of $25,000. Arnold, who was the only other person besides Charbonnet with access to the account, used the money to bail her son, Malcolm Arnold, out of jail, according to the warrant. When Charbonnet confronted Arnold she agreed to pay him back. She did so, however, by forging Charbonnet’s name on a check from one of the law firm’s bank accounts to which she didn’t have access, police said. “He was being repaid by the unauthorized withdrawal of his own money,” the warrant states. Charbonnet ordered an audit of his bank accounts and found that Arnold had stolen more than $2.1 million, leading to her arrest. Arnold had authorization to sign checks from five of the six affected bank accounts, police said. She forged Charbonnet’s name on a check to withdraw money from the sixth account, the warrant states. Latanya Arnold posted bail of $100,000. Her husband, Raymond Arnold, posted $50,000. [For more: Times-Picayune]
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