News and Success Stories

November 9, 2020

By Trish Choate

Police have zeroed in on a theft ring of six people working together to steal computers, electronics, groceries, hygiene items, sporting goods and more this year, according to court records.

Davon Ramon Blue, Keelan Michael Carter and Ethan Cole Ashley have been charged with engaging in organized criminal activity-theft in connection with a theft ring suspected of stealing about $5,000 of merchandise from a local Walmart, according to court records.

A Wichita County grand jury indicted 19-year-old Blue and 18-year-old Carter Wednesday in connection with incidents on Feb. 8, according to court records. The indictment shows bonds of $20,000 each for them.

Blue and Carter were free Monday from Wichita County Jail, according to online jail records.

On Oct. 21, a Wichita County grand jury indicted 18-year-old Ashley on a charge of engaging in organized criminal activity-theft, court filings show. The indictment set Ashley’s bond at $20,000.

He was free Monday from jail, according to court records.

Engaging in organized criminal activity-theft of over $2,500 to under $30,000 is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

A search of online Wichita County court records and online jail records Monday in Odyssey did not turn up arrests or indictments for the other three suspects in connection with the incidents.

Affidavits for arrest warrants gave this account of allegations:

Between Feb. 8 and Feb. 15, six people operated a theft ring to steal about $4,734 from the Walmart Supercenter in the 3100 block of Lawrence Road.

They took on different roles in a conspiracy to swipe a range of items from computers to hygiene products in eight incidents.

They stole from Walmart on Feb. 8, Feb 9, Feb. 11, Feb. 13, Feb. 14 and Feb. 15.

Video surveillance showed Blue selecting items, removing security devices, taking the items from the store and loading them into vehicles.

Blue was present for at least three thefts, chose items to steal for all of them and pushed the shopping cart out for at least one.

Ashley is also caught on video picking out things to steal, removing them from Walmart, putting them in a vehicle and driving a suspect vehicle.

Ashley was present for about four thefts, selected items during two and drove in at least four.

Documents show at least three suspects pawned stolen goods at a local pawnshop.

Leadsonline.com shows Blue pawned four stolen items at the shop, including a sound bar, a TV and a desktop computer. Ashley pawned a desktop computer.

Source: https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/2020/11/09/indictments-police-bust-theft-ring-wichita-falls/6223327002/

October 17, 2020

By Lynnanne Nguyen

GARLAND, Texas – A woman has been arrested after being linked to a Lewisville retirement home theft.

Police say she stole from the elderly while pretending to administer a follow-up COVID-19 test.

Police say they are trying to figure out how long she may have been doing this, but Garland police say she committed a similar crime in September and has been pawning the jewelry she stole.

Back on Sept. 14, Garland police say Laketa Calhoun visited a resident at an assisted living facility called Brookdale Club Hill.

According to police, Calhoun told the resident she needed to collect a urine sample and used the distraction to steal more than a thousand dollars’ worth of jewelry from the resident’s apartment.

Lewisville police say Calhoun works for Medical Lab Partners and used a similar story to distract multiple residents at Discovery Village at Castle Hills in Lewisville last week, telling residents there they needed to be retested for COVID-19.

Garland police say they were able to identify Calhoun through a pawn shop where she pawned some stolen items.

“We have a database in which we look into pawn shops and see if there were any kind of property that had been pawned there,” said Garland Police Officer Felicia Jones. “That’s how we were able to locate her on video pawning property that did belong to our victim.”

Lewisville police say Calhoun has confessed to the crimes she committed at Discovery Village.

One of the victim’s grandson says his family was able to help police identify one of his grandmother’s anniversary rings from a local pawn shop, but they fear the rest of the jewelry that was stolen is gone.

Reps for Medical Lab Partners say Calhoun was fired last Thursday when police contacted them about the thefts.

Source: https://www.fox4news.com/news/lab-testing-worker-confesses-to-stealing-from-senior-citizens-at-lewisville-retirement-home

October 14, 2020

By Mark Reagan

The McAllen Police Department accuses a 45-year-old Edinburg woman of stealing more than $10,000 from a residence where she worked as a provider.

Authorities arrested Sylvia Angelica Medina on Sunday and charged her with theft, more than $2,500 but less than $10,000, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The alleged theft occurred on June 20 in the 3800 block of Umar Avenue.

The investigation began after the complainant called police to report that someone stole about $13,250 worth of jewelry.

“(She) stated that she placed all of her belongings in the garage, including a stand up jewelry box which contained all of her jewelry,” the probable cause affidavit states.

On June 20, she told police that she noticed the jewelry was missing, authorities say.

“(She) stated that she suspects her mother’s provider, Sylvia Angelica Medina, stole her jewelry,” the probable cause affidavit states.

Police say the complainant provided receipts for the jewelry, which included a 10-karat white gold men’s diamond band valued at $2,999.99; a 10-karat rose gold crown necklace with lab-created sapphires valued at $134.25; a 14-karat gold Le Vian chocolate diamond tiara ring valued at $1,124.25; a 14-karat white gold Vera Wang princess-cut diamond engagement ring valued at $4,320; a 14-karat white gold sapphire enhancer ring valued at $1,449.50; and an Elisa rose gold multi-strand necklace valued at $88.

The detective assigned to the case says he contacted Medina to see if she would come to the police station to provide a statement.

“Sylvia stated that she was out of town in Galveston, Texas and she won’t return until Wednesday 7/8/2020. I asked Sylvia if she ever had to go into the garage at any moment during her duties,” the probable cause affidavit states.

According to that document, Medina told the detective she once had to go into the garage to fix a load of laundry that had been improperly placed in the washer.

The detective again contacted Medina on July 9 and she said she would not return to the Rio Grande Valley until July 15, according to the charging document.

“I checked Sylvia’s pawn activity on LeadsOnline which showed that she made a pawn on 7/5/2020 in Edinburg, Texas indicating that she was dishonest with me,” the probable cause affidavit states.

The detective says in that document that he went to the Piedad Pawn Shop in Edinburg and obtained a ticket showing Medina pawned a “10K WG 9.6 grams cluster ring” and a “14K 4.36 crown ring” on July 23.

“The second item matched the description of the crown ring that was stolen. I contacted Sylvia and asked if she had yet returned. Sylvia stated that she is still up in the Houston area because she had another surgery a few days ago and is still recovering,” the probable cause affidavit states.

That’s when the detective says he told Medina that he knew the truth about the Piedad Pawn Shop.

“Sylvia remained silent on the line for an extended period of time, and then said she would talk to me about all of this when she returns to town on around 8/17/2020,” the affidavit states.

The detective then says in the charging document that he went to Medina’s mother’s house and was told the woman was not in Houston at all, but was in Georgia and had left on July 30.

A few days later, on Aug. 3, Medina contacted the detective and, according to the affidavit, said she knew she did wrong and was willing to pay the consequences, but needed to know what was going to happen to her.

“Sylvia stated that she did not have the jewelry with her. Sylvia stated that no one at her house knows what she did, and she doesn’t want them to know about it,” the probable cause affidavit states.

On Aug. 5, police say Medina went to the police station and returned four of the six items.

Medina has two previous theft cases from 1994 and 1995, both misdemeanors, records show.

Court records indicate she was found guilty in the 1995 case and reflect that the 1994 case was deferred.

The records are not available online.

Medina bailed out on a $10,000 cash bond on Monday, records show.

Source: https://www.themonitor.com/2020/10/14/edinburg-woman-accused-stealing-10k-jewelry-home-worked/

September 9, 2020

By Cheyanne Conboy

25-year-old Joseph Stubblefield was charged with aggravated burglary ten months after police verified that he pawned golf clubs which were reported stolen by his grandfather.

On November 11th, 2019, Goodlettsville Police Officer Stephen Hodges spoke with Donald Stubblefield regarding items stolen from his property. Donald advised police that he had to remove some items including a golf club from his vehicle in order to give his friends a ride to the airport. He stored them in the utility room of his home and when he returned home he went straight to bed. The next day he found damage to the exterior door of the utility room, and his golf clubs were missing. Donald reported that the missing golf bag contained a full set of irons, drivers, a putter, a range finder, golf balls, and a Bulova wristwatch. He stated that the total estimated value for the contents of the golf bag was $2,000 and that his grandson, Joseph Stubblefield, may be involved.

He told police that Joseph had lived with him previously, but had been evicted due to his drug addiction and previous theft of property. Officer Hodges searched Joseph’s full name in Leads Online to verify his pawn history and discovered that he had attempted to pawn golf clubs on November 7th, 2019 at Easy Pawn located at 840 Madison Square. Two days later Officer Hodges took photos of the golf clubs at Easy Pawn, and Donald Stubblefield was able to positively identify the items.

On September 7th, Joseph Stubblefield was arrested and charged with aggravated burglary. He is currently jailed in lieu of a $15,000 bond.

Source: https://www.scoopnashville.com/2020/09/burglar-detained-10-months-after-attempting-to-pawn-stolen-golf-clubs/

June 23, 2020

Joshua Carney

Gary Rosine can’t quite remember where he was parked or what vehicle he was driving one night in December 1982, but he certainly remembers the specific hunting rifle stolen from his vehicle 38 year ago.

“It was a Remington 700 .270, and I had just purchased it,” Rosine said from his home in Fairplay. “I still had the box and receipt and everything.”

Fortunately for Rosine, a former Craig resident and Tri-State Generation and Transmissions employee, having that receipt with the serial number on it helped Moffat County Investigator Gary Nichols reunite the rifle with its original owner last week after a tip from leadsonline.com, which located the stolen rifle at a pawn shop in Great Falls, Montana.

Nichols says he received a call from an investigator with the website in July 2019, alerting him to the whereabouts of the rifle. Leads is the largest investigative service based in Dallas and uses technology to help law enforcement track down stolen property and identify suspects.

“Once I received the tip I contacted the pawn shop in Great Falls and asked them if they had this specific rifle with this serial number,” Nichols said. “They said that they had it, so I told them not to get rid of it.”

After some back and forth between the pawn shop and investigators, the shop gave Nichols the name of the man who had pawned the rifle. The pawn shop told Nichols the man had pawned the rifle some 15 times since 2012.

“I was able to contact him and found out that he had received the rifle from a friend’s family after his friend had died in 1998,” Nichols said. “That’s as far back as I could trace the rifle, which is clearly not to 1982.”

After getting some backstory on the rifle from the man who had pawned it, Nichols told him he wouldn’t be getting the rifle back, and then contacted an investigator in Great Falls to help place an administrative hold on the rifle for 30 days.

From there, Great Falls Police Department picked up the gun and shipped it to Nichols, who then reconnected with Rosine.

“I knew Gary from back then. We were acquaintances,” Nichols said. “So it was nice to have a bit of a reunion with him and return the gun to him.”

“I never thought I’d see it again,” Rosine said. “I mean, what are the odds? For it to be out there that long and then to get it back? That’s pretty cool.”

“It’s always great to help the victim out in situations like this and return stolen property to them,” added Nichols, who recently made a trip to Brighton to recover a stolen four-wheeler from Moffat County. “It was especially great since I know Gary personally. I like to help the victim in whatever way we can. Fortunately, it worked out very well in this case.

“It’s certainly the coldest case I’ve worked on.”

After being reunited with his rifle last week, Rosine says he hasn’t had a chance to take the gun out to shoot it, but he plans on it here soon.

“It’s still in good shape,” Rosine said. “It’s definitely still useable. The stock was modified over the years, so I’ll have to replace that, but it still looks much like it did back then.”

Source: https://www.craigdailypress.com/news/i-never-thought-id-see-it-again-hunting-rifle-stolen-from-former-craig-resident-in-1982-reunited-38-years-later/

May 6, 2020

By Briana Nespral

Gainesville, Fla. — A Gainesville man is wanted for allegedly dealing in stolen property. Now deputies want him off the streets.

Andrew Sanchez says he was going for a jog with his friends when he left his bike locked up on campus. Five hours later, his bike was gone. Alachua County deputies say 36-year-old Jasson Secreto cut the lock off and then sold it at a nearby pawn shop.

“I was upset that my bike was stolen obviously because I really liked my bike,” said Andrew Sanchez.

Deputies say Secreto went through all of this trouble for just $50 from the pawn shop.

“Fortunately, the owner had an identification tag from the university and they were able to track that bicycle back to the registered owner, who had not given the suspect permission to cut his bicycle lock and pawn this bicycle,” said Art Forgey, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson.

Luckily, at most pawn shops, all information is recorded in a statewide database that law enforcement has access to. This helped UFPD positively identify the thief.

“Obviously, with a drug and theft prior history, he has not reformed and he’s going to probably continue to take stuff that does not belong to him and pawn it or sell it until we can take him into custody where he won’t be able to do that,” said Forgey.

Jasson Secreto is 36 years old, 5’7″, and weighs about 180 lbs. If you have any information regarding his whereabouts, you are asked to call CrimeStoppers at 352-372-STOP.

Source: https://mycbs4.com/news/wanted-wednesdays/wanted-wednesday-man-wanted-for-petit-theft-and-dealing-in-stolen-property

April 17, 2020

Rochester, N.Y. – The federal government is looking to seize four luxury vehicles and more than $150,000 from the owner of a Dewey Avenue pawn shop charged with re-selling stolen goods.

Devin Tribunella, owner of Royal Crown Pawn and Jewelry, is facing federal charges. Prosecutors allege Tribunella and other defendants recruited those suffering from opioid addiction to steal items from retailers. They allegedly bought the stolen items at a fraction of their retail value and then re-sold them online.

Prosecutors say Tribunella knew the items were stolen, and allegedly made false representations in eBay and Amazon user agreements, as well as on the LeadsOnline database.

Tribunella and a Royal Crown employee are accused purchasing and selling more than $3.2 million in stolen goods. Prosecutors say Tribunella used more than $2,995,000 in proceeds to buy items such sports cars and jewelry.

The government says it’s looking to seize the following from Tribunella:

A 2008 Lamborghini
A 2014 Rolls Royce
A 2014 Mercedes Benz
A 2015 Porsche 911
A Rolex watch
A Patek Phillipe diamond-encrusted watch
A gold Cartier bracelet
A 14-karat, 21-ct diamond tennis chain and tennis bracelet
A 14-karat diamond cross
A 14-karat, 41.5-ct. Diamond necklace
More than $148,000 from two PayPal accounts
More than $7,100 from a Canandaigua National Bank and Trust account

Tribunella is facing charges including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, selling and conspiring to sell stolen goods across state lines, engaging in financial transactions involving the proceeds of an unlawful activity and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

He was arrested back in November, along with four others, in connection with investigations tied to two separate pawn shops. Royal Crown employee Wade Shadders was also charged, while Thomas Nary, Eric Finnefrock and Ralph Swain were charged in connection with an investigation at Rochester Pawn and Gold. Nary owned that business, and Finnefrock and Swain were employees. Prosecutors say, between January 2015 and August 2019, the Rochester Pawn and Gold suspects resold nearly $12.5 million in stolen goods.

According to court documents, Royal Crown was allowed to remain open for a year, despite not having a valid license. Tribunella’s attorney, James Doyle, says the pawn shop remained open as the feds and police conducted an investigation.

“We’re talking about 16 months,” Doyle said in February. “If you’re saying this business was killing people with respect to overdoses, aren’t you complicit? Do you not have a part in that?”

Greece Police Chief Patrick Phelan said the punishment is a ticket and a fine, and that police cannot shut down a business for such an offense.

Four local violations from breaking town code were dismissed against Tribunella in February. As part of the agreement, Tribunella is barred from operating a pawn shop in Greece without a valid license.

Source: https://13wham.com/news/local/feds-want-to-seize-luxury-cars-jewelry-from-owner-accused-in-pawn-shop-scheme

By Hunter Diehl Challis

Patrol Cpl. Crissi Gilchrist with the Custer County Sheriff’s Department has had her hands on Leads Online for about four months, and she said the more familiar she gets with the tracking software the more she realizes what a valuable tool it is.

“Anything that’s been stolen, that we know has a serial number, can be entered into this system,” Gilchrist said.

“It already paid for itself in the first week we had it by getting all the stuff that was stolen from Allied,” Sheriff Stu Lumpkin said, referring to a Jan. 3 burglary at Allied Builders Supply in Challis.

Gilchrist said she got the serial numbers of what was stolen from the store, put them in Leads Online and almost immediately discovered they had been pawned in Cheyenne, Wyoming, by Zachary James. She contacted the Cheyenne Police Department and officers retrieved the stolen property and are holding it as evidence.

“We were able to hit the ticket the pawn shop entered and that’s how we knew he had taken those items,” Gilchrist said.

Since Leads Online was able to identify which pawn shop James used, Gilchrist said she was able to get in contact with the shop staff. They were able to supply video of James pawning the items, his current address, his phone number and driver’s license number.

“That’s the benefit of it,” Gilchrist said, referring to how quickly she was able to gather the information on James with Leads Online.

Sheriff Lumpkin said the price for using Leads Online was a little more $1,000 for a partial year subscription. However, he said it is so useful that he plans to make it a permanent addition to his crime-fighting arsenal.

Along with Leads Online, Lumpkin has also had Gilchrist explore other online ways of tracking stolen property. She has spent several weeks familiarizing herself with Carfax, a website that can find cars based on partial license plate numbers.

As time goes on, Lumpkin said he might have other deputies learn to use the new software. For right now, though, he said Gilchrist will take the lead with Leads Online and Carfax.

March 13, 2020

By Meredith Colias-Pete

Two Hammond siblings face charges after allegedly being seen on camera pawning stolen parts from a neighboring warehouse, documents show.

Police allege they did so while living in an adjacent business unit owned by the woman’s boyfriend’s father who recently died, records say.

Amoreena Hall, 44, and Isreal Hall, 40, are charged with burglary and corrupt business influence, both level 5 felonies.

Hammond police arrived to write up a burglary report on the 8000 block of New Jersey Avenue in the business park south of the Borman Expressway. The owner said his business, Hydraulic Component Services, rebuilds hydraulic, pneumatic and mechanical parts like pumps, motors, valves and cylinders, he told police.

He noticed brass and equipment missing from the “overflow” warehouse on six weekends between August 2017 and January 2018 including a grinder, air punch, air drill, two air grinders, and a cordless DeWalt drill, charges say.

After thinking an employee was stealing, he set up cameras, which showed a man “climbing up an electrical pipe” attached to the building’s side, removing a corrugated wall panel near the roof and dropping down into his unit, records say.

The owner told police the man lived in the building’s middle unit with another woman and man, charges say. That unit’s former owner, housing a “repair type business” had recently died, police said.

Since then, the son was “using the location as a place to stay” with girlfriend Amoreena Hall and her brother.

In the middle unit, police found a wall panel leading into the far unit, housing Meyer’s Distributors, which also said “numerous items” were stolen in the same time frame, charges say.

That panel was “removed and put back many times”, police said. Inside Meyer’s Distributors, there was access to a ceiling panel up to an attic that spanned the whole building. One the other end, another panel with a “makeshift ladder” dropped down to the Hydraulic Component Services unit, police said.

Through Leads Online, police found “virtually all” of the building’s stolen items sold or pawned to Scrap International, Lake Iron & metal, Super Pawn, EZ Pawn, charges say.

Police spotted Amoreena Hall, occasionally joined by Isreal Hall on camera at pawn shops selling the goods, documents allege. Hall’s boyfriend was not charged.

Both siblings have bonds set at $5,000 cash surety each.

Source: https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-hammond-warehouse-pawn-st-0314-20200313-tih4gvavuvgszcaodjiq6szqyq-story.html

March 12, 2020

By GLOBE NEWSWIRE

SAN FRANCISCO, March 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, The RealReal (REAL)—the world’s largest online marketplace for authenticated, consigned luxury goods—announced it has engaged with LeadsOnline, the nation’s largest online investigation service, to help law enforcement catch criminals who traffic in stolen luxury goods.

The RealReal has a long history of working with local, and where appropriate federal, law enforcement to assist in stolen property investigations. Today it is expanding those efforts to a national level to help prevent the trafficking and sale of stolen luxury goods.

Through the LeadsOnline platform, law enforcement officers now have visibility into The RealReal’s current inventory. Details including product descriptions, serial numbers, imagery, and the date and location of the consignment will all be accessible to verified law enforcement officers. Officers will also have a direct line of communication with The RealReal so the company can further assist with active investigations.

“Working with LeadsOnline to create national transparency around our inventory expands our ability to support law enforcement efforts to stop criminal traffickers of luxury goods,” said Rati Levesque, COO of The RealReal.

About The RealReal, Inc.
The RealReal is the world’s largest online marketplace for authenticated, consigned luxury goods. With a rigorous authentication process overseen by experts, The RealReal provides a safe and reliable platform for consumers to buy and sell their luxury items. We have 150+ in-house gemologists, horologists and brand authenticators who inspect thousands of items each day. As a sustainable company, we give new life to pieces by hundreds of brands, from Gucci to Cartier, supporting the circular economy. We make consigning effortless with free in-home pickup, drop-off service and direct shipping for individual consignors and estates. At our stores in LA, NYC and San Francisco, customers can shop, consign, and meet with our experts. At our 10 Luxury Consignment Offices, four of which are in our retail stores, our expert staff provides free valuations.

The RealReal Press Contact:
Erin Santy
Head of Communications
pr@therealreal.com

Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/realreal-helps-prevent-trafficking-stolen-130010353.html

February 28, 2020

By Saul A. Flores

BULLHEAD CITY — Mohave County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging all residents to use ReportIt.

ReportIt is a free, secure online service that allows citizens to record serial numbers and upload images for phones, electronics and other valuables.

MCSO said that the ReportIt service is a part of LeadsOnline, the online system that works with police departments and law enforcement agencies across the country to track and recover stolen property. MCSO uses LeadsOnline to help track and recover stolen property such as jewelry, sporting equipment, electronics, computers, cameras, designer clothing, collectibles and other items with invaluable personal worth. The system allows deputies to search for the items using a variety of parameters, concluding item descriptions and serial numbers.

When an item is sold to a pawn or second-hand shop, the product information is entered in the LeadsOnline database and is immediately viewable by participating law enforcement agencies across the country.

“ReportIt his an excellent program and I am very pleased to be able to offer it to all residents of Mohave County. This is a modern proactive tool that will easily allow you to catalog information about your valuables. This is a secure site and you can easily add up to 100 items,” said Sheriff Doug Schuster through a prepared statement.

Schuster said that no one will ever have unauthorized access to your information, you can immediately access the information in the case of theft and the list can be shared with law enforcement as well as your insurance carrier.

MCSO said that with the information provided by LeadsOnline, police track down thieves, develop leads in numerous cases and make arrests. Citizens can store an unlimited number of serial numbers, item descriptions, pictures and scans of receipts so items may be more easily identified in the event of theft. The record also may come in handy when filing claims with insurance providers in the event of a loss.

Citizens wanting to participate in ReportIt can register for the free services at reportit.leadsonline.com and begin building their personal property inventory list.

Source: http://www.mohavedailynews.com/news/sheriff-s-office-urging-residents-to-use-online-service-to/article_73cdcfb4-59f9-11ea-a834-8766bc786a52.html

By John Riley

February 6, 2020

Deputies found the tools packed into a storage unit.

HELENA — The Lewis & Clark County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) has recovered tens of thousands of dollars worth of tools that have been from construction sites in recent months.

The first reports of stolen tools came in around Christmas by a contractor.

Sgt. Chris Weiss was able to locate some of the stolen items a few weeks later through Leads Online, a web-based service operated by pawn shops that helps law enforcement nationwide locate stolen items that were pawned.

“Around the first week of January I came across some tools on Leads Online that matched the description of the victims’ tools,” said Weiss.

Weiss found the person trying to sell the stolen tools, which then led him to another suspect. With search warrants, Weiss was then able to track the location of the tool cache through directions that were on a cell phone.

Deputies found the tools packed into a storage unit.

“As soon as we opened the door, it was probably 90 percent full of tools,” said Weiss. “It was around a 10 foot wide by 20 foot in depth storage shed that was full from the floor to middle height with tools.”

Deputies found the tools from numerous cases across the county, with each victim estimated to have lost at least $10,000.

“These are contractors, this is their livelihood,” said Weiss. “This is what they do to make their income. So when they lose everything they have to go seek insurance, or if they don’t have insurance they have to seek it on their own to replace these tools.”

The tools are still in LCSO custody while the case is open, but Weiss looks forward to getting them back to their owners as soon as possible.

“Every year we suffer break-ins to local business,” said Sheriff Leo Dutton. “The businesses, or construction companies, operate in a narrow profit margin.”

Sheriff Leo Dutton praised Sgt. Weiss his work on this case, specifically for closely paying attention to detail, and for working quickly locating the stolen property.

“The longer we have to look for stolen property, the less likely we are to find it,” explained Dutton. “Often when we’re working with a professional ring, they’ll go to either another town or out of state. If they’re trading it for drugs, they’re gone in the wind.”

LCSO strongly encourages contractors to make sure their tools are locked and secured when they leave a site. Investing in a game cam can also be a good way to identify a potential thief should a break-in occur.

The main suspect of this case is currently in custody and LCSO is recommending three counts of felony theft; the suspect’s name has not yet been released.

Source: https://www.krtv.com/news/crime-and-courts/thousands-of-dollars-worth-of-stolen-tools-recovered-in-lewis-clark-county

By Shirah Matsuzawa

January 9, 2020

In honor of Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, Home Depot thanked the officers who tracked down the stolen tools.

BOISE, Idaho — Organized retail crime cost retailers nearly $778,000 for every $1 billion in sales in 2018, according to a National Retail Federation Survey.

In Boise, the Boise Police Department and Home Depot are working together to fight that crime.

“We have folks that come here from outside the area not knowing what partnerships are in place here, only to find out that when they go in and target one store and then go to another retailer that there’s often officers waiting there to arrest them for the offense that they just committed,” said Boise Police Chief Mike Masterson.

On Thursday, in honor of Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, Home Depot thanked the Boise Police Department after its officers recovered $14,000 worth of stolen tools, most of them power tools.

“It’s easy and quick to get rid of, quick for thieves to sell on the open market for money,” said Home Depot’s Multi Asset Protection Manager Beau Lachance.

“We really enjoy being able to get the merchandise back to the stores because in reality the stores aren’t the only victims, the citizens of Boise are also the victims because in reality the stores are just going to raise its prices if they continue to see these losses,” said Boise Police Department’s Organized Crime Retail Investigator Adam Schloegel.

Which is where pawn shops, like Boise Pawn come in. When someone comes in with an item, owner JT Newton told KTVB, they take note of the serial number.

“It actually goes into a national database called Leads Online and from there that’s 50 states, so whether the item was stolen here or in another state it all goes to the same database, and then from there it goes to the police department,” Newton said.

That’s how police managed to recover these stolen tools.

“If you’re going to steal from our local stores, we will find you,” Schloegel said.

Source: https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/crime/boise-police-stolen-theft-tools-home-depot-recovered-found/277-a1d08139-1dae-45ee-bade-54a989a352e5

By Joe Buchanan

January 6, 2020

BARBOUR COUNTY, W.Va (WDTV) — In December 2018 when Philippi police teamed up with Leads Online to crack down on thieves profiting off stolen goods. 5 News asks a year later; how well has it worked?

“It makes a record of every purchase from a pawn shop or one of those kiosks or a cell phone store,” said Chief Jeff Walters.

Chief Walters says the system enables police to return stolen items.

“Nine times out of ten, when a person steals something they sell it as quick as they can,” said Chief Walters.

If you have something stolen you can report it. Anything from handguns to watches can be reported through the system.

“You can get on LeadsOnline every day and just search Philippi and any person that used the Philippi address it will show what they sold,” said Chief Walters.

You describe the item, any serial numbers and upload any pictures you have.

“A suspect takes something to a pawn shop and tries to pawn it, it will red flag and send us an email notification,” said Chief Walters.

He says his department does not have an exact number of items found with the system.

“I wouldn’t even begin to know, quite a few,” said Chief Walters.

Chief Walters went on to mention an incident where Philippi police tracked down a handgun to a pawn shop in Arizona using the system.

Source: https://www.wdtv.com/content/news/Philippi-Police-say-566759971.html