A theft ring based out of South Florida has been put to a stop after managing to steal a whopping $20 million worth of merchandise.
Fourteen people have been charged with orchestrating the elaborate scheme. Officials from the Miami-Dade Police Department had been investigating the theft ring for nine months before finally closing in on the thieves known as “boosters,” or people who steal retail items for the purpose of reselling them.
What Is a Retail Theft Ring?
A retail theft ring is when a group of people conspire together to steal a high volume of goods from retail stores.
Their goal is to make fast money, as they immediately sell the stolen goods for a profit. According to Palm Beach County Detective Christopher Apple, this scheme consisted of two teams of people. “Boosters” were responsible for stealing excessive amounts of merchandise from a string of stores, while “fences” would resell the stolen items for cash.
What Stores Were Targeted?
The theft ring targeted a number of popular retailers such as Home Depot, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Macy’s, Costco, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
They even pocketed goods from grocery stores such as Publix and Winn Dixie. The shoplifters ransacked as many stores as they could without consequence. Pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS were also frequently victimized, as well as smaller mom-and-pop stores in the area.
Incredibly-Skilled Thieves
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office revealed that 14 people have been arrested in connection with the lengthy investigation known as “Operation On the Fence.”
The individuals have been hit with an array of charges including racketeering and organized retail theft. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody discussed the criminal operation during a recent news conference, describing it as “well-organized, profitable, [and] criminal.” Moody also likened the high-level theft ring to a “modern-day mafia.”
A Highly Profitable Operation
Over time, the team of shoplifters managed to acquire $20 million worth of retail goods.
Surveillance camera footage indicates that computers, televisions, guitars, medications, glassware, and expensive facial creams were some of the items that were stolen. The investigation led authorities to seize over $1.2 million in stolen merchandise being resold on Amazon. In total, officials recovered more than 4,800 stolen items.
Running the Operation Like a Business
A team of shoplifters would enter local Florida retailers to steal items they thought would generate a large profit when resold.
After they left the store with the stolen merchandise, a second person would catalog each item and then sell them to an online retailer. From there, the retailer, identified as Joshua Markell, would sell the goods to customers. The theft ring sold items through an Amazon storefront under the name “Hollywood Seller”. Authorities found that Markell sent over 100,000 items to unsuspecting Amazon buyers this year.
Nonchalantly Walking Out of Stores With Stolen Goods
Major Jorge Aguiar of the Miami-Dade Police Department described how the criminals developed a system that ensured their heists would be successful.
“They were scanning and printing their own barcodes and putting them over the manufacturers’ barcodes,” he said. “They would access a copy of a store’s master key, find a way to open the glass cases and empty out the medications into trash bags, load up shopping carts with items and would just walk out.”
Millions of Dollars Worth of Merchandise Have Been Taken
While the retail theft ring has been active for years, authorities undertook a nine-month investigation to gather enough evidence to finally press charges against the team of crooks.
Officials estimate that the theft ring swiped more than $5 million from retailers during that time. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw revealed that his department aligned with multiple retailers in order to conduct a thorough investigation.
Police and Retailers Collaborate to Thwart Theft Ring
Bradshaw noted that store owners would alert authorities when items were stolen to collect information without tipping off the suspects.
Both police and retailers had to cooperate to ensure that everything went according to plan. “Security people at the stores can collect data for us, either a tag number, or a description of the people, and get it to the detectives,” he said. “You just can’t go, ‘Oh, it’s a loss, and we’ll write it off.’ “
More Arrests Are Imminent
Because the retail theft ring has so many moving parts, police are still working to arrest others who were involved.
So far, 14 suspects have been linked to the ongoing crime spree, including Markell. Authorities believe that 50 other people throughout the state of Florida also played a role in the theft ring. Police expect more arrests to be made in connection to the elaborate scheme—currently they are working on charging three additional people.
Working Together, Authorities Praise Themselves on Investigation
At least seven different agencies were involved in the investigation, including the Miami-Dade Police Department, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is proud of their efforts, saying, “This just shows what happens when we work together.” She also praised officials for their hard work and diligence over the nine month investigation, saying their collaboration “uncovered a criminal organization that has caused billions – not millions – billions of dollars in losses to our retail industry and to all of us, the consumers.”
The Evidence Says It All
Due to the amount of evidence the police have accumulated, it will be difficult for the accused shoplifters to come up with a solid defense.
During Markell’s first court appearance, his attorney told the judge that he did not know the goods were stolen. Sheriff Bradshaw, for one, isn’t buying his story. He remarked, “If somebody shows up with 30 items that are the same, don’t you think they ought to say, ‘Well, what are you doing with those thirty items?” Mayor Cava echoed those sentiments, adding, “Miami-Dade County has zero tolerance for these crimes.”
