Polk County Sheriffs Office Reports... Organized Retail Theft Crime Investigation Results in Eight Arrests Polk County Sheriffs Office detectives arrested eight people related to an investigation of organized retail theft. Detectives learned that suspects worked together as a group where they committed thefts from several retail locations to include Bealls Outlet, Sports Authority, Hot Topic, Footlocker, Rainbow, Crush, Dillard’s, Kohls, Toys R Us, Cotton On, and Burlington Coat Factory. The organized group of suspects primarily targeted clothing merchandise. After selecting and concealing the merchandise, the suspects exited the businesses, and passed all points of the sale without purchasing the items. Approximately $6,500 in stolen property has been identified, though the suspects are believed to have been responsible for stealing merchandise worth thousands’ more. Retail theft is a serious problem in Florida. It drives up the cost of goods and we all suffer through higher prices. We often find that these thieves are stealing every day. I applaud the hard work of our detectives—we will work hard to make sure these suspects are held accountable. Grady Judd, Sheriff Through the course of the investigation it was discovered the suspects were selling the stolen merchandise to various individuals. In some cases, undercover Polk County Sheriffs Office detectives purchased stolen property from some of the suspects. Of the 8 people arrested, they were charged with 21 felonies, 17 misdemeanors, and 1 violation of probation. Also, as a part of the investigation, undercover detectives identified a fugitive with outstanding warrants from Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties: Reginald Burney (DOB 02/23/1975) from Tampa. The warrants were for VOP grand theft, VOP aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, VOP burglary, VOP fleeing to elude law enforcement, and VOP domestic battery second offense. He has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1995 that includes a number of violent offenses. He was arrested on October 3, 2014 and transferred to Pinellas County jail on October 7. He was not charged with theft. All suspects were given trespass warnings (meaning they are prohibited from entering the businesses) from the retail establishments, including the Lakeland Square Mall. This investigation is still on-going. For details on all charges, please visit bit.ly/1FQ8EpN.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 16:23:54 +0000
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