Organized retail crime remains a serious problem for retailers across the country and around the world. Every day, there are countless stories about criminal enterprises victimizing stores, threatening the safety of customers and employees, and the very fabric of the retail industry. To give you a better feel for the vast impact of the problem, we have provided a glimpse into just a few of the incidents that took place in the month of February 2025.
Nike Heist Network Executes Train Robberies Worth $2M in Premium Sneakers
A series of organized freight train robberies across California and Arizona deserts has resulted in the theft of over $2 million worth of Nike sneakers, including many unreleased models. Federal authorities have made arrests in connection with at least ten heists targeting Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway trains. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) estimates cargo thefts across the supply chain account for between $15 billion – $35 billion in losses annually.
NYC Diamond District Duo Fenced $5M in Stolen Goods from South American Ring Tied to Heists on NFL Superstars
A pair of Diamond District pawn shop owners in New York City fenced as much as $5 million in stolen goods as part of a South American burglary ring tied to high-end heists of NFL stars, federal prosecutors said. The suspects allegedly worked with at least five crews linked to a ring that targeted Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. The burglary ring targeted luxury items like expensive watches, jewelry, clothing, and sports memorabilia, and included high-priced wine and artwork. The stolen goods are expected to be worth at least $5 million when the feds are done sorting through the evidence.
Diesel Fuel Fraud Scheme Leads to Charges Against 25 Individuals and 4 Companies
Twenty-five individuals and four companies have been charged in connection with a multimillion-dollar scheme involving stolen credit card information used to purchase and resell diesel fuel, according to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The scheme involved using credit card “skimmers” to steal financial information, which was then used to create “cloned” cards for fraudulent fuel purchases. Vehicles, some modified with auxiliary tanks, transported the stolen fuel to customers, generating illicit profits of $3.4 million.
1 Million Stolen Credit Cards Given Away Free On Dark Web Forum
A recent report revealed that a well-known illegal marketplace and carding site called B1ack Stash has dropped a free giveaway of more than a million stolen credit cards to its users. The “massive collection of sensitive data containing over 1 million unique credit and debit cards” was published to the criminal forum and contained a total of 1,018,014 cards. It is understood that the data included highly sensitive information—pretty much everything you would need to commit credit card fraud or launch phishing attacks against the cardholder.
3 Plead Guilty in Rochester Retail Theft Ring Case
Three people have pleaded guilty in connection to a widespread retail theft ring in the Rochester, New York area involving hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise. Four suspects are accused of stealing thousands of new-in-box items from several local retail stores and were then sold to a pawn shop in Greece. The alleged theft scheme generated more than $2.4 million in revenue for the pawn shop, according to the criminal complaint.
Daring Thief Steals $1.5M in Luxurious Items from Closing Macy’s Store
A daring masked thief almost got away with more than a million dollars in jewelry stolen from a soon-to-be-closed Macy’s store. The crook—while disguising himself as a security guard—got into the Downtown Brooklyn Macy’s just after closing time. Once the floor was empty of patrons, he began helping himself to expensive jewelry, stuffing the exquisite items into a suitcase until the goods had totaled about $1.5 million in worth. According to police, the jewelry thief was spotted by a store employee who confronted the crook, an encounter that led the thief to drop the hot items and flee on foot.
3,500 Pairs of High-End Sunglasses Recovered Following Multi-State Theft Ring
Authorities said they have recovered over 3,500 pairs of high-end designer sunglasses following the arrest of three Miami men connected to a multi-state organized retail theft ring. “They broke through the wall in at least in one business, disabled the security system, and were able to take a large quantity of sunglasses,” said Miami Police Chief Manny Morales. According to authorities, the merchandise, stolen from stores in Tennessee and South Carolina, is valued at around $1.2 million.
Chicago Man Faces Felony after Thousands of Stolen Shoes Found in Warehouse
A Chicago man is facing charges after police recovered thousands of suspected stolen shoes from a West Side warehouse. Cook County Sheriff’s Office ORC investigators learned that a large number of stolen Nike shoes were being stored at a warehouse. Investigators executed a search warrant at the warehouse, where they recovered approximately $1 million worth of Nike and New Balance shoes believed to be stolen.
$400,000 Lego Theft Ring Impacted Stores Across US
A fourth person accused of participating in a $400,000 Lego theft ring was arrested in Smith County, Texas. An arrest affidavit states two of the suspects would go into a Walmart and go down an aisle with Legos before purchasing other items, which would usually be under $1, using their credit or debit cards. After the duo left, a co-conspirator would go in the store, walk down the Lego aisle, and pick up the same items. The co-conspirator would walk past the checkout counter without trying to buy the items. If employees stopped them, they would show an altered receipt with items renamed as Legos and prices changed to be the cost of Legos.
Ex-Wells Fargo Banker Accused of ‘Fencing’ Legos Stolen from Charlotte-Area Walmarts
A former Wells Fargo banker is accused of “fencing” hundreds of thousands of dollars of “highly lucrative” Lego products stolen from Charlotte-area Walmart and Target stores. Two other men are accused of stealing the Legos and delivering them to the suspect in his northwest Charlotte driveway hundreds of times in recent years. The suspect is accused of selling the Legos on e-commerce platforms in North Carolina and other states. The eBay account sold about $225,000 in stolen Legos.
Police in Vidalia Investigating Theft from Jewelry Store
Police in Vidalia say they have identified a person of interest after more than $130,000 in merchandise was stolen from a Kay Jewelers store. According to police, three black men with their faces covered came into the store, with one of the men pulling an object out of his jacket and using it to smash open a display case. This all comes just days after a similar crime at the Kay Jewelers location in Bluffton where more than $600,000 in merchandise was taken.
Retail Crime Ring Member Gets 8 Years in Prison
Colorado’s newest judicial district is sending a strong message to thieves and retail stores after the recent prosecution of a man involved in a crime ring. An affidavit details the actions of an “organized retail crime group” accused of committing 19 thefts across the metro area. The document describes $330,333.90 in total losses throughout the string of retail thefts. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement assisted with the identification of suspects, stating they were unauthorized immigrants from Venezuela.
Women Accused of Stealing Over $250,000 Worth of Products from Ulta Beauty Stores in Michigan, Ohio
Three women were arrested for allegedly stealing over $250,000 worth of products from multiple Ulta Beauty stores in Michigan and Ohio. The investigation began when officers responded to an Ulta Beauty store in Shelby Township, where the manager accused three women of stealing $6,000 worth of inventory. Investigators located their vehicle near Toledo, Ohio where authorities detained the suspects and found stolen merchandise inside the vehicle. Ulta Beauty reported to police that the three women allegedly stole over $250,000 worth of merchandise.
Counterfeit Goods
$39.5M in Counterfeit Sports Merchandise Seized Ahead of Super Bowl LIX
The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center has announced the seizure of $39.5 million in counterfeit sports merchandise through Operation Team Player. This year-long, collaborative initiative between Homeland Security Investigations, US Customs and Border Protection, and major sports leagues aims to prevent counterfeit sports-related merchandise and apparel from reaching fans ahead of high-profile sporting events. In total, more than 214,507 counterfeit items were seized, including jerseys, t-shirts, hats, jewelry, and other memorabilia.
Officials in Kentucky Seize $27M in Fake Jewelry Last Month
US Customs and Border Protection agents have seized $27 million worth of counterfeit jewelry in Louisville, Kentucky. The items—counterfeit designer watches, bracelets, rings, necklaces, and earrings—were mostly from Hong Kong and China, the agency said, and were headed to different parts of the United States. The agency also seized $30 million worth of fake Tiffany jewelry in New York City and $5 million worth of counterfeit goods in Indiana.
Amazon, Nintendo Seek $7M Judgment in Counterfeit Amiibo Lawsuit
Amazon and Nintendo jointly filed a lawsuit against a group of counterfeit Nintendo sellers that the company said illegally sold fake amiibo and video game cartridges, asking the court for a default judgment of more than $7 million in statutory damages. The counterfeit goods include posters, amiibo cards, and Nintendo DS cartridges, among other items across several different selling accounts. Amiibo cards, like amiibo figures, can be scanned using the Nintendo Switch console to earn rewards or add characters to a game.
Chinese Nationals in LA Arrested for Allegedly Smuggling Goods from China
Two Los Angeles men were recently arrested for allegedly running a scheme to smuggle counterfeit goods from China through Southern California ports. The suspects were arrested for allegedly carrying out what prosecutors called a cargo-swapping scheme via the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Under the scheme, the defendants took cargo shipping containers selected for inspection by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from ports to their warehouses. They then broke the security seals on the containers, removed the contraband, stuffed the containers with filler cargo, and replaced the broken seals with counterfeit ones. Afterward, they directed co-conspirators to transport the containers to a CBP-authorized location for inspection, the prosecutors said. According to the criminal complaint, they paid $15,000 for each cargo container diverted from inspection in November and December 2024.
For Those Interested in Learning More
February was a busy month for those involved in organized retail crime. For those interested in learning more, here are some of the additional incidents that took place. Click on the links to explore some of these events:
100,000 Eggs Worth $40K Poached from Trailer as Police Scramble to Crack Case
Police in Central Pennsylvania are scrambling to crack the case after 100,000 organic eggs worth upwards of $40,000 were stolen from the back of a trailer.
3 Suspects Accused of Stealing $143,000 in Merchandise Across Puget Sound
A trio of suspects are accused of stealing nearly $150,000 of merchandise from various stores around Western Washington. Police say the suspects were involved in 24 documented incidents of organized retail theft targeting high-end fragrances and cosmetics.
Playboy Sues Over Alleged Counterfeits
Playboy is suing online clothing companies that are allegedly ripping off the Playboy brand. The company is looking for up to $2 million for each of the thousands of alleged violations by China-based retailers or all the profits the companies have made from using the Playboy name and brand.
Multiple Arrested in Large Retail Crime Theft Ring, Including a Convicted Killer
Multiple people were arrested as suspects in three retail crime rings responsible for more than $100,000 in stolen merchandise.
$1.4M in Fake Sports Merchandise Seized by Cincinnati CBP
Leading up to Super Bowl LIX, US Customs and Border Protection officers in Cincinnati seized 85 shipments containing over 4,000 pieces of counterfeit sports merchandise and memorabilia. If the merchandise—which primarily came from China and Hong Kong—had been genuine, its Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price would have been over $1.43 million.
Thieves Steal $80K-Plus in Louis Vuitton Handbags
Oklahoma City Police are looking for three men involved in the theft of dozens of Louis Vuitton handbags and other bags near their back wall worth approximately $80,000. A similar incident took place in April of last year when hundreds of thousands of dollars in handbags were stolen.
Border Patrol Seizes 200,000 Counterfeit Forever Stamps in Alabama
US Customs and Border Protection seized 200,000 counterfeit US Forever Stamps at the inland Port of Birmingham in Alabama. The counterfeit stamps from Hong Kong have a suggested retail price of $146,000. CPB also said customs inspectors in Chicago seized 161,860 fake Forever Stamps from China.
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