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 July 2025.
Judiciary Witnesses Call for Congressional Action on Organized Retail Crime, Endorse Grassley-Led Bill
In response to questioning from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, witnesses urged congressional action to address the nationwide scourge of organized retail crime and endorsed the bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act. The witnesses discussed the dangers of organized retail crime, including its ties to international criminal and terrorist syndicates. The Act was cited as a “game changer,” given the legislation’s proposal to zero in on criminal enterprises through commonsense penalties and multi-agency coordination.
New Data Shows 22,000 Arrests and $150M in Recovered Stolen Goods Across California
Governor Gavin Newsom has announced significant accomplishments in battling organized retail theft and prosecuting criminals for their actions in California. Between October 2023 and March 2025, state-funded local law enforcement operations resulted in the arrest of more than 22,100 suspects and the referral of nearly 17,100 cases for prosecution. Through this state-funded work, law enforcement agencies have been able to recover nearly $150 million in stolen property.
More Than 30 Convicted for Roles in Organized Retail Theft Ring
New York Attorney General Letitia James revealed the convictions and sentencings of 35 members of a substantial retail theft ring in New York City. More than $3.8 million in stolen goods were recovered from the ringleader, as well as 550-plus stolen gift cards and cash cards, and more than $300,000 in cash. The companies that were stolen from included CVS, Walgreens, Duane Reade, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Louis Vuitton, Lowe’s, Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers, Sephora, Rite Aid, Neiman Marcus, Saks 5th Avenue, and Sunglass Hut. The suspect and his accomplices had thieves steal merchandise and gift cards from New York City retailers. The thieves then brought the stolen goods to the suspect’s business, buying the stolen goods at significant discounts and reselling the stolen items for profit via an eBay store.
Arrests Made Of Burglary Ring Members Who Stole $1M from Retailers
A Cook County man was charged for his part in a criminal enterprise that targeted Chicago area retailers in more than 115 burglaries, stealing more than $1 million in merchandise and cash. Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the charges stem from his office’s ongoing efforts to combat organized retail crime through his office’s statewide Organized Retail Crime Task Force.
Smash-and-Grab Shocks Brentwood as Teen Gang Steals Over $500K in Designer Handbags
A bold daylight robbery stunned shoppers and locals in Brentwood as a group of teens stormed luxury consignment retailer The RealReal, making off with an estimated $500,000 in designer goods in under two minutes. The upscale boutique—known for its covetable inventory of Hermès, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton—was transformed into a crime scene when about a dozen or more suspects brazenly smashed through the store’s glass entrance. Witnesses describe a chaotic scene as the crew sprinted from the store, holding armfuls of high-end handbags and accessories before dashing out and piling into getaway cars.
Chicago Man Accused of Cargo Theft of $400,000 Worth of Fitness Equipment
Police in Chicago launched an investigation after learning that fitness equipment taken during a cargo theft in Joliet, Illinois, was for sale by an individual on Facebook Marketplace. After reportedly identifying the seller, undercover CCSO Organized Retail Crime officers purchased fitness equipment from him over the course of several weeks at a storefront and at a storage unit he controlled in Chicago. A search warrant was executed and police recovered approximately $400,000 in fitness equipment, gloves, and other items.
Glendale Couple, Delivery Driver Arrested in ‘Sophisticated Organized Retail Theft Operation’
Phoenix police have arrested a husband and wife and a delivery driver accused of running a sophisticated organized retail theft operation. Authorities say the suspects stole and resold merchandise worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Investigators identified a crew responsible for stealing more than $160,000 in merchandise. The husband and wife are accused of purchasing large volumes of stolen goods and reselling them for profit. Their home in Glendale featured a makeshift storefront in the living room full of the stolen merchandise. Items were also sold through online platforms. A third suspect, who worked as a delivery driver, supplied the couple with a substantial amount of stolen merchandise that he was supposed to deliver to retailers. He allegedly diverted an estimated $200,000 worth of cargo for illegal sale.
Chinese Nationals from California Caught With More Than 5,000 Counterfeit Gift Cards
Two Chinese nationals are facing charges after authorities say they were found with more than 5,000 counterfeit gift cards. The two men were believed to be involved in switching gift cards at local CVS stores. When stopped, a search of the suspects’ vehicle turned up a total of 5,078 gift cards. An inventory of the recovered gift cards showed cards from Amazon, Home Depot, DICK’s Sporting Goods, Nike, Lululemon, Sephora, Macy’s, and Nordstrom/Nordstrom Rack.
Hagerstown PD’s Successful Organized Retail Theft Operation Ends With Dozens of Arrests, ID of Multiple Drug Rings
The Hagerstown Police Department announced it has wrapped up “Operation Blue Light Special,” an investigation identifying repeat offenders who commit retail thefts, identify where the stolen property was being sold, and ultimately identify the drug networks and organizations supplying controlled dangerous substances to those individuals who are committing the thefts. As a result of the investigation, 91 individuals were arrested. Officers also recovered six stolen vehicles, nine handguns, seized an undetermined amount of controlled dangerous substances, identified seven drug trafficking organizations, and identified twelve locations where stolen property was being sold including private residences as well as businesses that included restaurants, barbershops, convenience stores, and social clubs.
2 Men Charged in Alleged ORC Operation
An Arizona state grand jury has indicted two individuals in connection with an organized retail theft and stolen property trafficking ring. The suspects face a total of 70 counts related to the alleged theft of more than $140,000 in merchandise from Walmart stores across several Arizona counties.
Organized Retail Crime Unit Charges Pittsburgh Man with Stealing Hundreds of Identities to Buy $100K+ in Lowe’s, Giant Eagle Merchandise
A Pittsburgh man was arrested for assuming identities to make more than $100,000 in online credit purchases from area Lowe’s and Giant Eagle stores. The suspect is charged with more than 200 counts of felony identity theft and related offenses for assuming the identities of hundreds of people to place the orders. He purchased power tools, home security products, and other items which he then resold at a discount on his Facebook page.
More Than $85K Worth of Fireworks Stolen from Orlando Business
The owner of a fireworks business reported the theft of what he estimated to be more than $85,000 worth of products. He also claims to have spotted some of his branded items up for resale on social media.
Serial Thief Took Hundreds of Tools from Stores and Sold Them at a Swap Meet
A man was arrested after stealing merchandise worth thousands of dollars from Lowe’s and Home Depot while on pre-trial probation. After being arrested in May and later released with an ankle monitor on pre-trial probation, the suspect continued to commit thefts of over 100 additional times. Nearly 300 cordless tool batteries and over 50 cordless tools worth at least $70,000 were stolen and resold online and at a local swap meet.
Romanian Man Guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property
A Romanian citizen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen goods after conspiring to defraud Walmart stores across the country out of merchandise, money orders, and money transfer requests. The scheme unfolded when a co-conspirator would count money out in front of a cashier, while another would help to distract the cashier. Using a sleight-of-hand technique, the co-conspirator would pretend to hand the cashier the full amount while secretly retrieving a large portion of the cash. The co-conspirators would then return merchandise for a refund to other Walmart stores in a different state or obtain the full value of money orders and money transfer requests after having only paid for a fraction of the cost.
Counterfeit Goods
Sports Memorabilia Dealer Admits to Counterfeiting Over $350M in Gear After Police Raid Warehouses
Police in Westfield, Indiana conducted two raids on warehouses this week as part of a counterfeit sports memorabilia investigation alongside the FBI, finding one person dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. A sports collectibles dealer admitted he’d sold more than four million items and brought in over $350 million, much of it on forgeries. The post details how forging autographs and holographs became an “addiction” and claimed he was responsible for a huge portion of the autographed merchandise on the sports collectibles market. He claimed the warehouses police raided had $500-700 million worth of fake merchandise. He claims he made undistinguishable counterfeit cards and holograms and autographs from some of the biggest athletes in sports.
Amazon’s Crackdown on Counterfeits Results in $180M in Penalties and Sanctions
Amazon announced that its Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU) has achieved significant progress in its mission to eliminate counterfeit goods from its platform, including over $180 million in court ordered restitution and judgments and more than 65 criminal convictions globally. The unit, composed of former federal prosecutors, law enforcement agents, and data analysts, has initiated over 200 civil actions and made hundreds of criminal referrals against counterfeiters.
$130M Scheme Leaves Behind 772 Yeezys, 375 Gucci Belts
Hundreds of designer items seized from a Massachusetts house in connection with a $130 million scheme are being forfeited. Officials charged seven people with participating in a counterfeit goods scheme in which they imported generic goods into the United States from China, applied brand labels to those goods, and then sold those items to retail and wholesale purchasers. Hundreds of the items were seized including 375 Gucci belts, 872 Nike sneakers, 772 adidas Yeezy sneakers, and 144 Balenciaga shoes.
A Woman in Miami-Dade Was Arrested with $1M Worth of Counterfeit Merchandise in Her Home
A woman residing in Miami-Dade County was arrested after authorities seized over 1,000 counterfeit items from the Louis Vuitton brand, with an estimated market value of over one million dollars. The confiscated items were stored and on sale at the home of the arrested individual.
For Those Interested in Learning More
July 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:
Pawn Shop Owner Pleads Guilty to Fencing Property Stolen from Bengals’ Joe Burrow
A New York City pawn shop owner has pleaded guilty to buying and selling luxury items stolen by a national burglary crew whose victims include star athletes Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Luka Doncic.
Organized Crime Group Stole Baby Products and Exchanged Them for Drugs
Police made nearly a dozen arrests following a months-long investigation into an ORC group stealing high-demand baby products such as baby formula and vitamins from local retailers and exchanging them for drugs. Police seized more than a half kilogram of cocaine and other illegal narcotics, $30,000 worth of stolen property, and more than $34,000 in cash.
LAPD Retail Crime Force Arrests Man Accused of Stealing Over $25K Worth of Shoes
A man was arrested for stealing more than $25,000 worth of merchandise from shoe stores across Los Angeles County. A search warrant linked to nine separate incidents of robbery and grand theft uncovered two firearms and a “substantial amount” of stolen items.
Discount Store Stocked Shelves With Stolen Items
A Kokomo, Indiana business owner and his associate are accused of running an organized theft ring, selling merchandise at a local discount store that had allegedly been stolen from big box stores.
Sacramento Police Seize Over $22K in Suspected Stolen Goods in Major Blow to Retail Crime Rings
Police executed two search warrants resulting in the seizure of thousands of dollars worth of suspected stolen goods. The sting, targeting organized retail theft rings, saw approximately $22,769 in merchandise recovered, along with the discovery of several illegally possessed firearms and evidence of narcotics sales.
Your input and support can help send a critical message. If you have an ORC case that you would like to submit for the monthly round-up, please send an email to us at editor@losspreventionmedia.com.
