Police go after shoplifters: 28 arrested; $12,000 in stolen property recovered
A three-day anti-shoplifting blitz by police in Lexington and Nicholasville, Kentucky, at stores in the Nicholasville Road area led to 28 arrests and 14 citations. Detectives from Lexington, Nicholasville and members of the Kentucky Organized Retail Crime Association worked undercover with retail loss prevention staffers to target shoplifters from Dec. 5 to 7, according to police. They focused on thieves at stores at Fayette Mall, Brannon Crossing and Kohl’s Drive.Thirty charges were related to shoplifting, four involved burglary, four were drug related and six were related to financial crime, police said. The blitz led to the recovery of more than $12,000 worth of stolen property, according to police. Lexington police and partnering agencies will continue the shoplifting blitz throughout the month. [Source: Lexington Herald Leader]
Woman allegedly steals power tools from home improvement retailer; assaults loss prevention associate
Police arrested a 25-year-old Massachusetts woman Monday afternoon after she allegedly stole more than $645 worth of tools from The Home Depot, including a jigsaw and a hammer drill. The incident at the store, located at 655 Memorial Drive, was reported about 4 p.m., Michael Wilk, public information officer for the department, said. Responding police, meeting with loss prevention officers to sign paperwork for trespass and arrest, saw the suspect bolt up, push a loss prevention officer out of the way and attempt to flee the store. Officers, after a brief chase, caught the suspect. The loss prevention officer suffered a minor injury to her arm but denied treatment at the scene. Meagan Fredette, of 34 Royalton St., was charged with larceny over $250, resisting arrest and assault and battery. [Source: MassLive]
Dollar General employee accused of pocketing $20,000 in gift cards
Records show a Memphis, Tennessee, Dollar General employee Corderious Booker, 20, would take Visa gift cards at work, load them up with $500 and pretend to put cash in the register, but really never pay. Instead, police said he took home multiple gift cards since November 11, totaling more than $20,200 from the Lamar Avenue store. “He should be locked up,” said store shopper Edmond Horne. That’s exactly what happened when the store’s risk management director called police. Booker is now in Shelby County jail, facing a charge of theft of property between $10,000 and $60,000.
“I won’t go along with that at all. I won’t steal nothing. Not even a Popsicle,” said Horne. But one University of Memphis professor thinks Booker’s mug shot tells a deeper story. “We are back to being the poorest, largest metro area in the country,” said Elena Delavega, associate professor of social work. Stores like Dollar General pay minimum wage, which is not enough for employees to achieve the “American dream,” said Delavega. “Assuming a person can work full time, it’s a paycheck of $240 per week,” she said. “There is a promise in this country that if you work hard you’ll be able to make it and won’t be in poverty but for a lot of people, working hard is less and less resulting in not being in poverty,” she said. In fact, police said Booker admitted to what he did; he’d use the cards to buy things to help out his family. Professor Delevega said companies should pay a living wage to give employees incentive to work hard to be able to fully provide. [Source: News Channel3]
Police double shoplifting arrests in this year’s blitz
‘Tis the season for shopping and shoplifting. This year Saginaw Township Police in Michigan arrested twice as many people compared to last year during the annual shoplifting blitz. Police arrested 35 people during the blitz on Thursday and Friday. Last year 17 were caught. Even with the success, Officer Chris Fredenburg, the township’s Crime Prevention Specialist, said many more get away. “We just scratched the surface with our operation. It kind of shows you what’s going on in all of our business districts,” Fredenburg said. Fredenburg said during the blitz officers recovered around $5,000 in merchandise. Clothing is one of the most popular items to steal, with one brand being stolen the most. “Nike apparel. And that’s been a hot item all fall,” Fredenburg said. During the blitz Saginaw Township officers were assisted by the Michigan State Police, the Saginaw County Sheriff’s Office, and the Carrollton Police Department. In addition to the extra officers, certain stores are equipped with police radios. They allow store loss prevention teams to speak directly with police, who can then quickly respond. [Source: ABC12 News]
Teen charged with stealing $8,500 from employer
A Racine, Wisconsin teen is charged with theft of $8,500 worth of merchandise while he was working at Champ’s Sports in Regency Mall. James L. Green, 17, of the 1100 block of 13th Street, Racine, is charged with felony theft of movable property worth between $5,000-$10,000. According to the criminal complaint, on Dec. 8, a regional loss prevention investigator for Foot Locker brands contacted Racine Police about Green’s alleged theft from the store. The investigator said he had observed Green allegedly make 22 fraudulent charges during his employment. Although Green began working at the store in September 2016, the reported thefts didn’t begin until Sept. 29, 2017. According to the investigator, Green would ring up a sale and then cancel it, but would allow the customer to leave with the merchandise. Green also allegedly charged customers for low-priced items, costing between $3 and $9, but would then give the customers other items they hadn’t purchased.
The investigator told police that at the time he contacted Green about the thefts, the employee was wearing shoes valued at $190 and a jacket valued at $100 that were both allegedly stolen from the store. The investigator provided police with documentation of the sales and surveillance footage of the transactions. Green reportedly signed a voluntary statement in which he allegedly admitted to ringing up small items and adding other merchandise to customers’ bags as well as canceling transactions and allowing customers to leave with items anyway. Green, who has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 3 in Racine County Circuit Court, told investigators he stole from the store because he and his loved ones were dealing with financial stress and he wanted to help. [Source: The Journal Times]
Marine Veteran in dress blues chases shoplifting suspect
Decked out in his dress blues, a Marine Corps veteran who was volunteering with Toys for Tots outside a Plano, Texas, Walmart chased a suspected shoplifter through traffic. A fellow volunteer and Marine veteran snapped a photo of Nathan Hanson as he walked away from the suspect on the ground, and he shared the image in a Facebook post. “Once a Marine, always a Marine,” said Alisia Dunning. “It’s our duty to take care of those that are in need. Even though Walmart is not necessarily a person, no one deserves to be stolen from.” Dunning said Hanson didn’t hesitate when he saw other volunteers chasing a man from the Walmart store on Saturday afternoon. The Marines were there collecting Toys for Tots donations. Some volunteers were inside the store collecting toys, and others were outside collecting cash.
Hanson saw the foot chase and initially thought the person may have stolen from volunteers, so he crossed traffic to head the man off. At the time, Hanson said he didn’t know police were nearby but saw a Plano patrol car turn and head their direction. “He realized he couldn’t get away, and at that point he slowed down and stopped and said, ‘I give up, I’m sorry,'” Hanson said. “He got down, and I just waited there until the Plano Police Department came over.” Plano police say 25-year-old William Horn, stole $91 worth of electronics. Hanson tore his uniform in the chase. A fellow Marine started a GoFundMe campaign to replace it, and within a few hours the donations exceeded $500. Hanson said he was embarrassed by the attention and that the extra funds would be donated back into the Toys for Tots program. He says he hopes the photo shared on Facebook helps remind people to give to Toys for Tots. The Marine Corps League in Collin County is currently looking for volunteers to help sort donations. [Source: NBC5 News]
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