RETAIL SECURITY/ LOSS PREVENTION NEWS ROUND-UP “PART TWO” by; Rick McCann www.privateofficer.com

RETAIL SECURITY/LOSS PREVENTION NEWS ROUND -UP PART TWO BY; RICK MCCANN http://www.privateofficer.com

FLORENCE KY. April Tucker, 31, Florence, shoplifting totaling less than $300, Sept. 16.
Judy Corballa, 24, Florence, shoplifting totaling less than $300, Sept. 16.
Brian K. Switzer, 34, Florence, shoplifting totaling less than $300, fleeing or evading police second degree, Sept. 16.

CARLSBAD, N.M. Bradley Cook, 26, of Torrance Circle, charged with shoplifting over $250 and under $2,500, contempt of court, failure to appear and shoplifting over $250 and under $500.

Lee Elmore, 34, of the 500 block of West Bronson, charged with shoplifting under $100.

NASHVILLE TN. Retailers, police and loss prevention agents nationwide are noticing a dramatic increase in “group” shoplifting. Families, groups of friends and organized shoplifters are banning together more frequently to steal larger items from stores and hitting the same retailer more than once. Some are shoplifting quanities of items to sell on E-Bay or at flea-markets or other on line market places while other groups are shoplifting merchandise for personal use. Although it has always been a problem for retail security, it is now becoming a much more agressive form of shoplifting causing alarm and bringing with it the potential for higher injuries to the loss prevention officer making the apprehension.

LEBANON PA. FORGERY: Joshua Zimmerman, 24, no known address, was charged with forgery, possession of a controlled substance and criminal attempt after an incident at Wal-Mart, 1355 E. Lehman St., at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 5, police said this week.

Charged were: Jayson Patches, 19, of 895 Richard Drive; Tyler Bender, 19, of 102 Racehorse Drive, Jonestown; and Christian Vasquez, 18, of 2320 Route 72 North, police said. Vasquez was also charged with theft, accused of taking cash and a credit card from a purse at Wal-Mart, 1355 E. Lehman St., on Aug. 29, police said.
THEFT: A purse belonging to Amanda Lutz, 729 State Drive, South Lebanon Township, was taken between 11 and 11:30 a.m. Sunday while she was shopping at Wal-Mart, 1355 E. Lehman St., she told police Wednesday. A cell phone and other items worth $200 were in the purse.

STRAFORD N.J. The Stratford Police Department arrested two people Saturday afternoon in the Warwick Shopping Center, according to authorities.
Police were called to the Rite Aid and arrested Donna Meyer, of Stratford, for stealing merchandise valued at around $70. Police also found cocaine and drug paraphernalia after searching Meyer. She is being charged with shoplifting, possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to police. Shortly after making the first arrest, police responded to Incollingo’s Stratford Market and arrested Marvin K. Williams, of Lawnside, for shoplifting. Williams was spotted trying to steal roughly $80 worth of meat and was chased from the store by the manager. Police were able to track Williams to Homestead Road, where he was arrested.

ANDERSON S.C. — Two admitted crack cocaine users were fined $1087.50 each after workers at Ingles in Anderson caught them trying to steal boxes of Bayer Aspirin valued at $130.
Curtis Hill, 36, and Laura Sibert, 37, were arrested at 1:35 a.m. Friday at the 1900 North Main Street grocery store.
Both pleaded guilty to shoplifting about 8:30 a.m. Friday in Anderson City Municipal Court.
Shortly before Mr. Hill and Ms. Sibert were ordered into orange jumpsuits at the Anderson City Jail, Mr. Hill was observed putting 32 boxes of the pills in his pant’s leg. Ms. Sibert was seen putting the pills in her shirt.
Judge Hugh Welborn ordered an additional level of security at Ingles, putting Mr. Hill and Ms. Sibert on permanent trespass notice.

ROCKLAND — A 20-year-old Rockland woman was arrested Thursday afternoon for robbery, after police said a failed shoplifting incident turned violent.
Amanda French was arrested by Rockland police for Class A robbery, Deputy Rockland Police Chief Wallace Tower said.According to Tower, French and a 16-year-old girl from South Thomaston were confronted in the parking lot outside J.C. Penney on Maverick Street by two store security employees. French and the girl had shoplifted $318 in items, Tower said.The two tried to get into a car with other people, when a scuffle ensued with the security personnel. Police were called and located the vehicle.The two store security workers suffered minor injuries and were planning to see a doctor, but did not require a visit to the hospital, Tower said. French also suffered minor injuries, but did not require medical attention, he said.The 16-year-old girl was charged with theft, Tower added.

BAINBRIDGE GA. On August 26 about 3pm,Officer Taylor Mills was called to Walmart for shoplifters in custody. Security told the officer that John and another juvenile took razor blades from a package and was attempting to take some MP3 players from the locked glass case. Both juveniles were issued ban notices for Walmart.John was released to his mother.

ACORN CA. Suzanne Haffamier, an English teacher at Calabasas High School, is facing up to three years in jail for shoplifting $15 worth of groceries from an Albertsons supermarket, authorities said.
Haffamier, 53, was arrested Oct. 1 at the grocery store on Lindero Canyon Road for allegedly stealing sushi, soda and a bottle of alcohol, said Detective Victor Paladino from Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station.
The charge of “petty theft with a prior” elevates the shoplifting charge from an infraction or misdemeanor to a felony, Paladino said. A first offense for petty theft is usually charged as a misdemeanor when the value of the property stolen is between $50 and $400, according to legal experts. If the total value of stolen merchandise is less than $50, the perpetrator may be charged with an infraction.
Haffamier reportedly was convicted of petty theft once before. If Haffamier served at least one day in jail, the second offense is filed as a felony, Paladino said.
Details of Haffamier’s first conviction were not available. Haffamier’s attorney, Monique Hoffmayer, could not be reached for comment.
According to a criminal defense attorney not involved with the case, Haffamier faces a maximum sentence of three years in state prison, although he believes that outcome is unlikely.
Paladino expects Haffamier will most likely face a stiff fine rather than jail time.
Jack Parham, an attorney representing the Las Virgenes Unified School District, said Haffamier has been placed on leave of absence from her teaching post until the legal matter is resolved.
Haffamier’s preliminary hearing is scheduled at Los Angeles Superior Court in Van Nuys on Oct. 16.
Haffamier also taught English and directed music productions at Agoura High School. She was the director of the West Valley Ballet Company for more than 20 years and was also a former member of the San Francisco Ballet.
HILLSBORO TX. Two Hillsboro women were picked up on theft charges after Hillsboro police were called to Outlets at Hillsboro.Officers responded to the Burks Outlet about 1:30 p.m. Monday, October 8.The theft charge on 48-year-old Lena Gatewood was enhanced to a felony due to previous convictions. Her bond was set at $10,000 by Municipal Court Judge Florence Logan.A 46-year-old woman was also charged in connection with the investigation. Her bond was set at $1,000.

CINCINNATI, OH. — Two people are hospitalized in connection with a shoplifting incident that ended in a crash late Wednesday.
Police said Rochelle Burton, 46, was seen taking some items from a Walgreens on West Corry Avenue just after 10 p.m.
Police said that when security tried to stop her, Burton ran from the store and jumped into a waiting car.
While driving away, police said, the car’s driver tried to run down a security guard, who was a Cincinnati police officer.
Officers gave chase until the car crashed into a ditch on Burnet Woods Drive, ejecting Burton nearly 100 feet.
Burton and John Penny, 42, were transported to University Hospital for treatment. Their conditions have not been released.
Both will likely be charged at a later date.

DETROIT MI. A Home Depot security guard helped police arrest a Detroit man accused of bilking a 81-year-old Warren woman out of $220.
Warren police Detective Sgt. Michael Torey praised Home Depot loss prevention officer Michael Luttenberger for identifying a man who approached a woman in the store and offered to get her lower prices on doors.
Luttenberger played back a store videotape of the man, who was seen taking the money from the woman and then leaving in a beige conversion van.
Torey said Luttenberger recognized the man a week later in the Home Depot on Hoover Road and called police. The man, identified as Gregory Allan West, 55, was charged Thursday in 37th District Court with larceny by conversion, a 1-year misdemeanor.
“The store detective did an outstanding job remembering what the man looked like and getting a picture of him from the store surveillance camera,” said Torey. “West returned to the Home Depot at 12:10 p.m. Wednesday and was put on surveillance by Mr. Luttenberger until our officers arrived to arrest him.”
Torey said the woman was shopping for doors at the Home Depot at noon Oct. 4 when she was approached by a man who introduced himself as James. The man, who claimed to be a contractor, told her that he could buy the doors cheaper and install them.
Torey said the woman gave him $220 and he told her to stay by the doors and he would return. The woman waited 30 minutes, said Torey, but the man never returned.
Torey said West denied any knowledge of the transaction. He later told police that the woman came up to him and asked if he could buy windows and install them for her.
West has a lengthy criminal history. In 1992 he pleaded guilty to assault with intent to rob in Detroit. In 1997 he was convicted of larceny by conversion in Oak Park. In 1999 he was convicted of larceny over $100, and in 2004 was convicted in Warren of uttering and publishing.

WOODLANDS TX. On October 6, Deputy A. Cross was notified of a theft at the Burke’s Outlet in the 23700 block of Hwy 59. Upon arrival, Dep. Cross met with the loss prevention officer who was detaining a woman. Dep. Cross was advised that another woman involved in the theft was in the Kroger parking lot. Dep. Cross located the other suspect. The two women had taken a total of $447.95 worth of merchandise and left the store without paying. The loss prevention officer confronted them outside the store when they fled. One of the suspects, 19, was from Porter and the other, 17, from New Caney, were arrested at 7:41 p.m. and transported to jail. A third person, a man, involved in the incident was confronted by Deputy P. Cassidy, who during his investigation, discovered an illegal knife being carried by the man. The items stolen by the women were discovered in the vehicle the man was found in. The 50-year-old man from New Caney was arrested at 6:15 p.m. and transported to jail.

On October 6, Deputy C. Evans was sent to the Wal-Mart in Porter in reference to a theft. Dep. Evans met with the loss prevention officer who was detaining a man for shop lifting a total of $82.72 worth of merchandise. The 25-year-old man from Porter was arrested at 10:30 p.m. and transported to jail.

LINDEN N.J. — A man and two women from Essex County who police say went on a three-store shoplifting spree were arrested in Linden Saturday after one of them allegedly assaulted a store security officer who had tried to stop them from leaving the store.
Police said the security officer’s left arm and shoulder were injured so badly that she was unable to write and had to be taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway for treatment.
And police said they recovered more than $200 worth of merchandise taken from the store in Linden, along with merchandise from a Woodbridge store. Police said they also recovered three leather jackets from a Macy’s store but did not know the store’s location.
Linden police were called to the Marshalls store at Aviation Plaza, 625 W. Edgar Road, around 9:30 p.m. Saturday for a report of a fight outside the store. When police arrived. they found the store’s loss-prevention officer, standing outside the store out-of-breath, according to Linden Lt. Raymond Tyra.
Police said a woman wearing a long robe had placed merchandise from the store under the robe. When she started to leave the store, the loss-prevention officer tried to stop her, but the shoplifter grabbed the 24-year-old security officer by the arm, twisted it behind her back, and pushed her down to the ground.
According to the police account, the shoplifter told her companions to “go get the car,” before all three ran to a vehicle and left the area. The injured officer provided police with the license-plate number of the vehicle.
Officers Dave Manganiello and Don Geisheimer stopped the vehicle traveling on routes 1 and 9. Inside were three people, including a female passenger who fit the description of the woman who had taken the items from the Marshalls store, police said.
Among the items recovered belonging to the Marshalls store were pajamas, a white sweater dress, a Linea Donna leather jacket worth $100, Baby Phat jeans, Willie Esco jeans worth $59 and a weatherproof leather jacket. The merchandise from Marshalls was worth a total of $204.96, police said.
Inside the vehicle, police found three white plastic bags, two from the K&G Men’s Store in Woodbridge. The bags contained a sweater vest and two pairs of pajamas. Police also recovered a Macy’s bag containing three leather jackets.
Arrested were Victor Murray, 40, of Newark, the driver of the vehicle, Jamila Clark, 45, of Irvington, the woman accused of shoplifting the items from the Marshalls store, and Sharee Bass, 48, of Newark.
All three were charged with robbery, assault and theft. Bail was set at $60,000 each. Murray was also charged with not having a driver’s license and driving while his license was revoked. They were all taken the Union County Jail in Elizabeth, police said.
MILLVILLE-N.J. – Jacquel M. Bowser, 18, of Sassafras Street, was charged Friday with shoplifting. She was released on her own recognizance.
Cynthia Bodden, 41, of Pheasant Run, was charged Friday with shoplifting. She was released on her own recognizance.

MOULTRIE GA. — Employees at Wal-Mart on South Veterans Parkway reported two thieves were seen on security footage stealing Apple iPods Friday night.
An officer was called to Wal-Mart about 7:55 p.m. Friday and met with the employees as they were reviewing the security footage. The video showed a black female and a black male in the electronics department, and the female used a key to open the glass case where the iPods are kept.
The two thieves were seen stealing six black iPod Nanos, six green iPod Nanos and two iPods. They were then seen taking the items to the sporting goods section and deactivating the security strip.
The two thieves were then shown going to the registers where they bought a drink then left the store. They were captured on the video leaving in a white Ford Explorer, but the tag number was not given to the officer.
The value of the stolen iPods was about $2,871. The video and pictures of the Explorer were collected as evidence.
These thefts helped bring the cash value of weekend crime to nearly $5,000.

SHELBYVILLE TN. A man accused of shoplifting says his alleged accomplices fled, leaving him behind, when Dollar General Market personnel approached them Monday afternoon.
Amanda Evans, 22, and Tasha Evans, 19, who were with Anthony Johnson, 22, deny his claims, saying he was doing the shoplifting.
Store personnel told police the three, all of Bell Buckle, were working together and they have the video to prove it.
Johnson was apprehended at the scene and the women at a residence near Deason.
Each was charged with first offense shoplifting under $100, police say.
*A police officer says he saw a man reach toward cigarettes while a counter at Walgreen’s, North Main Street, was left unattended Monday.
Teurean Ashanti Maxwell, 25, Tate Street, had two packs in a pocket when Lt. Mike Baker checked moments later.
The cigarettes cost Maxwell a night in jail. He was being held Tuesday on a theft of property charge at Bedford County Jail pending $500 bond.

BALDWIN PARK, – Detectives are investigating an officer involved shooting that left a suspect hospitalized in serious condition.The incident happened Thursday night in the parking lot of a target store at 3100 Baldwin Park Boulevard in Baldwin Park.
Police were notified of a possible shoplifting suspect at the store.
When the suspect and an accomplice left the store, officers confronted them in the parking lot.
Investigators say one suspect reportedly pulled out a gun and started running, and that’s when officers fired.
There’s no word on whether police arrested the second suspect.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Investigators have been following strong leads in search of the suspect who shot and killed store owner Gene Kim. They have a big piece of evidence – the store surveillance tape.
Officials said they did not believe the store was robbed. They continue to investigate reports that the shooting was connected to an argument in the market earlier in the evening.
Witnesses told investigators the argument that led to the Kim’s murder was about shoplifting.
Tanya Smith lit a candle at the doorway of the Shop-N-Save market in memory of Gene Kim.
“It’s just… something from the heart,” Smith told NewsChannel 5. “I mean, like I said – it was hard to believe. I couldn’t believe it.”
Kim died Thursday night inside the market he owned on County Hospital Road in Bordeaux.
Surveillance video shows Kim was reading his Bible when a suspect entering the store.
There may have been an exchange of words before the suspect shot Kim in the head.
“It seemed like he’d get along with everybody, so that was just uncalled for. It doesn’t make sense at all,” said Loretta Bridges, who lives near the store.
“I mean, you walk into door… he’s just smiling and he would play with anybody’s kids – not only mine… anybody’s kids. He’d take right up with them right when you came through the door,” said frequent customer Leslie Garner.
Friends said Kim frequently read his bible. He was a deacon at the Nashville Korean Presbyterian Church on Franklin Pike.
Pastor Shin Kang said in a time like this there is not much you can do other than to pray for Kim’s wife, daughter and son.
“Other than just being there with them, holding their hands – words are not appropriate,” said Kang.
Friends said what they will remember most about Kim is how much he loved children.
Deondra Key lives across the street from the store. He said Kim would give him a little money when he’d do little chores around the store.
“It was sad, real sad. I miss him,” Deondra said.
Witnesses told police the suspect left the area in a red Pontiac Grand Am.
Police said anyone with information about the murder or shoplifting should call Crime Stoppers at 74-CRIME. If the information you have results in an arrest and prosecution you could receive up to $1,000.

TYLER TX. Tyler Police say a shoplifting case has prompted a cocaine-related arrest. Police were called to Wal-Mart Super Center on Troup Highway regarding three suspects allegedly trying to shoplift a television in an empty box. All three were arrested, including Quentin Gardner, 34, of Overton. Gardner was charged with possession of 26.5 grams of powder cocaine, 102 grams or 3.6 ounces of crack cocaine, and 11 grams of marijuana, all first degree felony charges. Police say he also had $2,350 in cash in a shaving kit along with drug paraphernalia. Additionally, Gardner had outstanding warrants for violation of parole, possession of a firearm, engaging in organized crime, and possession of a controlled substance. Renee Harrison, 33, of Tyler was charged with theft, a class A misdemeanor. Jason Jevic, 28, of Tyler was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. All three suspects were taken into custody and transported to the Smith County Jail.

NEW BEDFORD MA. — Carlos Felix, a local community activist and unsuccessful political candidate, was arrested this week on shoplifting charges in Dartmouth.
Mr. Felix, 33, of 21 Social St., New Bedford, is charged with trying to steal a $350 tool set from Sears at the Dartmouth Mall. He allegedly carried the merchandise outside the store, according to police reports.
Mr. Felix, who was arraigned Monday in New Bedford District Court, ran as an independent for state representative from the 13th Bristol District last year. He also founded the local watchdog group Citizens in Action for Progress. He said he considered running for City Council this year but decided against it.
Mr. Felix attributed his shoplifting arrest Monday to kleptomania, which he said drives him to steal. He also said he has been battling anxiety.
“It’s hard to explain to someone who doesn’t understand the feeling of being compelled to take something,” Mr. Felix told The Standard-Times.
“Something triggered inside of me. It’s like I did not know I was doing something improper,” he said. “Basically, I made a mistake.”
His latest legal problem could reopen a marijuana possession case that was continued without a finding last summer. In June, he pleaded nolo contendere, meaning that he admitted sufficient facts of the case.
The marijuana possession charges were to be dismissed in June 2008 as long Mr. Felix was not arrested on any new charges.
The Probation Department at New Bedford District Court will decide whether he violated the terms of his no-contest plea.
According to court records, a Sears loss prevention officer reported seeing a man behaving “suspiciously” in the tool section around 11:30 a.m. Monday. The officer saw the man pick up a 238-piece tool set and walk past the registers.
Another loss prevention officer who was stationed outside the store stopped the man as he left the building and ordered him to return to the manager’s office, court records said.
Mr. Felix said he never left the store. He said he was going “in and out” out of the door, struggling with his impulses.
“I was fighting my demons,” he said.
Dartmouth police officers arrived and arrested Mr. Felix. On the way to police headquarters, Mr. Felix told the officers he has a mental disease that causes him to steal, court records said. He also told the officers he had not done anything like that in a long time.
Mr. Felix was arrested Dec. 1, 2006, in New Bedford after a police officer observed him and another man sitting in a parked car near McGurk and Ruth streets. Having detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the car, the officer searched Mr. Felix and found a small amount of marijuana in his pants pocket, according to court records.
Mr. Felix said that he has since stopped smoking marijuana, which he said helped him cope with his anxiety.
“I’ve been trying to better myself, and here I am doing this idiotic, stupid thing,” he said. “It’s like I woke up in a jail cell, and I thought, ‘What happened?”

Stand Off Ends With 3 Cops Shot by; Rick McCann www.privateofficer.com

LAS VEGAS NV. OCT. 19 2007

A Metro Police standoff, a few blocks east of the Las Vegas Strip, ended and the suspected gunman is in police custody.
Three Metro officers were shot as they answered a domestic disturbance call.
In the exclusive video of that shootout, police officers can be seen on the ground exchanging gunfire with the gunman who barricaded himself in a second story apartment near Twain and Paradise.
Police say they received a call reporting a domestic disturbance between a mother and her adult son around 1:30 Friday afternoon. Officers answering the call say they could hear sounds of a struggle and then gun shots.
The area was shut down, as dozens of Metro officers rushed to the scene to help the wounded officers.
SWAT teams were on stand-by and several K-9 units were on the scene. Eventually, after three-and-a-half hours of negotiations, the gunman surrendered.
Metro Sergeant John Loretto said, “The negotiations were successful. The subject turned himself over to police. He was taken into custody and is on his way to the Clark County Detention Center.”
That man now faces a number of criminal charges, including murder.
All three of the wounded police officers are expected to make a full recovery. They were transported to University Medical Center’s Trauma Center where they were listed in stable condition. They sustained non-life threatening injuries.
One of those officers was shot in the belt and is okay; another was shot in the chest, but was saved by his bullet proof vest. A third officer was hit in the wrist.
Two of them could be released from the hospital Friday night.
Metro spokesman Martin Wright said, “The one that will be kept over night is the one that was shot in the wrist. He will have surgery on it and when he will be released will be determined by his doctor.”
Again, the three police officers are expected to recover from their injuries.
Dozens of people living in the neighborhood were evacuated from their homes during the standoff. Neighbors say they often heard family members arguing in the apartment where the incident happened.
Students at William E. Orr Middle School, Dean Peterson Elementary School, and Ruby Thomas Elementary School were kept indoors, as the schools went into lockdown mode while police negotiated with the shooter.
Anxious parents showed up at the schools looking for their children, but were forced to wait outside.
The lockdown was finally lifted at about 5 p.m. and students were released to their parents.

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Homeowner Finds Someone Else Living In Her House www.privateofficer.com

Friday, October 19, 2007

Homeowner Finds Strangers Moved In While She Was Gone by; Rick McCann www.privateofficer.com

DECATUR, Ala. Oct. 19, 2007–
Sometimes after taking a long vacation or being away on an extended business trip a person can get very homesick and other times when you arrive back the house doesn’t quite look as you remembered it. Such was the case of a woman in northern Alabama recently.
Kim Ledford returned to her home after an extended absence and found a strange man in her bed and a woman wearing her clothes. Then another man walked up to question why she was in his house. She dialed 911 and police were able to arrive before the intruders had a chance to move on.
Once police sorted things out, two of the visitors were charged with burglary, Kelly Jo Moore, 45, and Cornelius Goode, 29. The man in the bed was not immediately identified or charged.
Decatur police spokesman Lt. Frank DeButy said Moore was wearing Ledford’s clothes and said she would leave the home if it was causing a problem.
DeButy says Goode falsely claimed to be the owner of the residence. It’s unclear how long the intruders had been living in the house.
DeButy said police also found drug paraphernalia on Moore.
Moore and Goode are currently living in the Morgan County Jail. Ahhh, home sweet home.

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Wanted Fugitive Tries Getting Buddies Out Of Jail by; Rick McCann www.privateofficer.com

Wanted Fugitive Tries To Bond Friends Out; Lands In Jail by; Rick McCann www.privateofficer.com

HUDSON MA. Oct. 20, 2007 — Hector Nieves drove to the police station Wednesday to help bail out two men arrested on serious drug charges. Now police, after determining that he has multiple Social Security numbers and fingers that don’t yield identifiable fingerprints, have arrested him, too. Mr. Nieves, 35, of 638 Haverhill St., Lawrence, drove a woman to the police station at 7 p.m. Wednesday in her attempt to bail out the two men, one of whom allegedly had 11 aliases. Angel L. Colon, 55, of 579 Lawrence St., Lowell, and Juan Fargas, 33, of 638 Haverhill St., Lawrence, were arrested on Manning Street around 5 p.m. Wednesday after detectives were tipped off that they would be making deliveries of narcotics to area residents.
Police said they confiscated 54 grams of cocaine, 3.5 grams of heroin and $1,400 in $20, $50 and $100 bills. They are charged with possession of cocaine and heroin, possession of cocaine and heroin with intent to distribute, trafficking in cocaine, conspiracy to violate controlled substance laws, and possession of a controlled substance in or near school property. Mr. Fargas, who was driving the 1997 Chevy Lumina, also is charged with driving without a license, use of a false or stolen Registry of Motor Vehicles document, and giving a false name to police after his arrest. Mr. Nieves has been charged with driving without a license, possession and use of a false or stolen Registry of Motor Vehicles document, and giving a false name to a police officer after his arrest. Because of questions about his identity, District Court Judge Jonathan Brant ordered Mr. Nieves held without bail and scheduled a pretrial hearing Oct. 26. Police said they were unable to determine Mr. Nieves’ true identity because the tops of his fingers had been cut to alter his fingerprints. “The suspect’s fingers appeared to have been cut through the center of the print area, making identification difficult,” police wrote in the report filed with Marlboro District Court. They said a check of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services showed that he has three Social Security numbers under three names. “He has been deported and returned illegally,” police wrote in the report. “Detectives received information from Salem, N.H., police indicating that one of the identities of the suspect is a deported felon on charges they filed.” Judge Brant ordered Mr. Colon held on $1 million cash or $10 million with surety. Bail for Mr. Fargas was set at $500,000 cash or $5 million with surety. When detectives stopped Mr. Fargas’ car, they requested the assistance of a Massachusetts State Police dog. Police said the dog immediately indicated that drugs were near the rear of the front passenger seat, and the officers noticed that the front passenger seat had been modified. The officers pried open the area and a banded roll of cash and an object wrapped in aluminum foil allegedly fell out. Police said the object was marked with a piece of tape with the number 28 written on it, and that inside were four plastic bags containing a large quantity of cocaine and a foil-wrapped ball, containing a plastic bag of heroin. Police said the drugs were found within 1,000 feet of the JFK School. Police said Mr. Colon, who is from the Dominican Republic, has 11 aliases and has default warrants in New York on charges of cocaine trafficking. Mr. Fargas, a native of Puerto Rico, has two active Massachusetts driver’s licenses under two names, police said. About two hours after their arrest, Mr. Nieves, who is known to police, drove a woman to the police station in an attempt to bail out his two associates. When Detective Scott M. Chaulk walked out of the station, he recognized Mr. Nieves and placed him under arrest, Police Chief Richard A. Braga said. He said Mr. Nieves and Mr. Fargas have been persons of interest in an ongoing narcotics investigation that has spanned several years. He credited the alertness of Detective Chaulk and fellow officers for the arrests. “These are people we believe have been dealing drugs for quite some time. It was a great bust,” the chief said.

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Casino Security Discover Murder Victim by; Rick McCann www.privateofficer.com

BILOXI, Miss. –Biloxi police are investigating the death of an Arkansas businessman, whose body was found Thursday in his room at the Isle of Capri Casino.
Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove said James “Jim” Johnson II, 49, of Hot Springs, Ark., died of a gunshot wound in the stomach.
Johnson’s body was discovered by casino security after he failed to show for his tee time.
“We’re following up on several different leads,” based on the physical evidence recovered, said Biloxi Police Capt. Darrin Peterson, “and trying to identify people that were on the floor (Wednesday) night, anybody that came into contact with the victim during the night.
“In addition to that, we are attempting, with the Isle of Capri (staff), to identify personnel that had contact with the victim, that may have been around the area (Wednesday) night.”
Before selling his business about seven years ago, Johnson was part owner of Aerocell Structures Inc., a company that repaired aircraft components, said friend Jim Cooper of Arkansas, who used to work with him.
A father of two sons, both graduates of the University of Arkansas, Johnson was a “real upstanding citizen,” Cooper said.
“We’re always monitoring our security, monitoring our casino and security procedures,” said Bill Kilduff, the Isle’s vice president and general manager. “We think all of our procedures were followed. When people check into hotels, people have suitcases and obviously it’s not like an airport and you go through detectors. We do the best that we can.”

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RETAIL SECURITY/LOSS PREVENTION NEWS ROUND-UP by; Rick McCann www.privateofficer.com

Garner, N.C. Angela Shante Peebles, 22, of Raleigh, was arrested Sept. 28 at Super K-Mart at 4300 Fayetteville Rd. on charges of shoplifting. Hair products valued at $21 were involved in the incident.
Lorris Ewayne Davis, 52, of Raleigh, was arrested Sept. 28 at Super K-Mart on charges of shoplifting. Martha Stewart bedding valued at $231 was involved in the incident.

Splata Rafaela Aria, 37, of Raleigh, was cited Oct. 1 at Super K-Mart at on shoplifting charges. More than $40 in clothing was involved in the incident.

Gary Lee Burden, 42, of Garner, was arrested Oct. 2 on shoplifting charges.
A minor was arrested Oct. 2 at Target at 2700 Timber Dr. on shoplifting charges. During the incident, $30 in cash was recovered.
Katrina Williams, 20, and Lashawn Lauri Felton, 20, both of Raleigh, were arrested Oct. 4 at Super K-Mart on shoplifting charges. Clothing valued at $117 was involved in the incident.

Westminister CO. A mother and son allegedly tried to take a vacuum off the shelves and return it for a refund at Wal-Mart, 200 136th Ave. in Westminster at 6:50 p.m. Oct. 10. According to the report, the mother and son were in the store, when the son allegedly took the vacuum off the shelf and took it to customer service to try and get a refund for it. Store clerk officials became suspicious when he didn’t have a receipt and had two prior instances of trying to return goods without receipts. Store cameras allegedly showed the two walking into the store, without the vacuum and then the man taking it off the shelf. After saying that they were returning the vacuum because they never used it, they allegedly eventually admitted to the offense.

Nacogdoches TX. Aggravated robbery, 1215 North St., Kroger. An officer working security saw someone leaving the store with several thirty packs of beer without paying. The person then got into a vehicle and the vehicle hit the officer, but not seriously injuring him, according to the report. The vehicle was later located on Houston Street and the occupants, Kevin Cook, 31, of 3212 Appleby Sand Road and Jeremy Shirley, 23, of P.O. Box 235, fled on foot only to be later captured at the University Drive Chevron. They were found to be in possession of a stolen can of boat gas that had been taken from a boat on Martinsville Street, and they were arrested for aggravated robbery.

Lubbouck TX. A man is behind bars this morning after allegedly stealing four quarts of oil from a Lubbock convenience store. Police arrested the suspect around 12:45 a.m. Friday at the Town & Country at 82nd and I-27.
Officers put him in the back of a police cruiser, but he allegedly kicked out the window and took off running. Police chased the man down, strapped him to a board, and took him to jail in the paddy wagon.

Indianapolis IN. A suspected shoplifter who ran from a Southside Kmart store late this afternoon was apprehended after a short chase by store security and officers, police said.
Two men accused of shoplifting beer at Kmart, 2715 Madison Ave., ran out of the store, said Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Sgt. Doug Forest. One fled on foot and the other drove off in a van, he said.Store security and police officers pursued the suspect in the van until he parked the vehicle in the 2600 block of Brill Street, Forest said. Officers then arrested him, he said.The man’s name was not immediately known. The suspect who fled on foot was not caught, police said.

FRAMINGHAM MA.
A Framingham man admitted he shoplifted at an Edgell Road liquor store on Wednesday, but his lawyer said today it was not an armed robbery.Christian Candelario, 23, did not threaten Datti’s Liquor’s clerk Daniel Doirado with a bottle of liquor as police allege, defense lawyer Michael Brennan said during this morning’s Framingham District Court arraignment.”All he wanted to do was give the bottle back, he wasn’t using it to threaten the clerk,” said Brennan. “It was a stupid thing to do. He knows what he did and he knows what he did was stupid, but it’s just not an armed robbery.”Candelario walked into the liquor store at 5:14 p.m. and slipped a bottle of liquor into his book bag, prosecutor Michael Rubin said. When confronted by Doirado, Candelario appeared to be panicked and lifted the bottle over his head in a threatening manner. Candelario then ran from the store, but left his bag.”There were several items within the bag, and they (police) were able to use that to track Mr. Candelario,” Rubin said.Among the items were Framingham District Court probation paperwork, as well as receipts for money orders. Candelario turned himself in at the station at 7:57 last night.Candelario, of 915 Edgell Road, was charged with armed robbery and assault with a dangerous weapon. Judge Robert Greco ordered him held on $500 bail. Candelario is due back in court on Nov. 13 for a pretrial conference.

SECAUCUS N.J.– A Carlstadt woman who was shoplifting clothing from a Kohl’s store Tuesday faces a charge of child abuse and neglect because her 3-year-old child was with her at the time, police said.
The mother and another Carlstadt woman were charged with shoplifting $441 worth of clothing.
Detective Capt. John Buckley said police were called to the store at the Mill Creek Mall on a complaint that two women had been piling clothes into a shopping cart, covering them with bags, and trying to remove them from the store without paying. Police took Giorgina Kirner, 26, and Francisca Ramirez, 66, into custody, issued them summonses and released them.
Kirner, who was accompanied by her child, faces the additional child neglect charge in state Superior Court.

JACKSONVILLE TX. Patrick Neely and Johnny Marquez, both 32, were arrested Saturday afternoon after attempting to steal approximately $700 worth of merchandise from Wal-Mart.“There were eight different items they were attempting to steal — a 22-inch television, some computer hardware, some batteries, a battery charger, a video game, an Xbox wireless adapter, some memory sticks and coaxial cable,” Franklin said. “They had some Wal-Mart plastic bags, and they went down the aisles, placed items into the bags like they had already purchased the items and then walked out of the store through the automotive department side-door.”
Four other people were also arrested for shoplifting from the store this weekend, including two juveniles. Franklin said a loss prevention task force visited the Jacksonville Wal-Mart this weekend.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Police say a man who claimed to be a New York City detective stole more than $500 in video games from a store at the Lehigh Valley Mall. Police say 23-year-old Samuel H. Weeks Jr., of Ridgewood, N.Y., placed 10 video games in a backpack while he was in Game Stop around 6 p.m. on Oct. 9. After he was arrested, authorities say Weeks claimed to be a detective with the New York City police. But a department spokesman says no one by that name works there. Weeks has been arraigned on charges of retail theft and sent to Lehigh County Prison under $5,000 bail.

PARIS, Mo. - High winds from a possible tornado struck rural northeastern Missouri early Thursday, killing a couple in a mobile home, authorities said. Several twisters hit in the southwest part of the state without causing major damage.
A tornado also touched down in the Florida Panhandle on Thursday, damaging the city’s major shopping mall as a line of violent thunderstorms made their way across the state’s western Panhandle.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Eddie English Jr., a department store clerk, said he heard the wind outside the store suddenly speed up and get louder. Then mall security guards entered the store and ordered about 200 to 300 employees and shoppers to evacuate to the basement.
Lindsey Lassiter, manager of the mall’s Express for Men store, said the ceiling in her store was damaged and that water was pouring in.
Jack Cullen, a meteorologist with the U.S. National Weather Service in Mobile, Ala., confirmed that a tornado touched down shortly before noon.

NEW HARTFORD N.Y.- A family of four has been charged in relation to a theft of over $700 worth of merchandise from JC Penney at Sangertown Square mall.New Hartford Police were called to the store after store loss prevention officers observed four people stealing from the store. Loss prevention subsequently stoped the four individuals who were identified as Nicole Fallon, 26, Elizabeth Woodard, 17, Carl Wright, 50, and Edna Wright, 59, all of whom are related and reside together in Rome, for stealing store merchanidse consisting of clothing.When police arrived, all four were taken into custody at which time the vehicle that they were traveling in was found to contain stolen property form retail stores located in the city of Utica, Village of Whitesboro, and several other stores in the Town of New Hartford, all of which was in addition to what the family was observed taknig at JC Penney.Upon the arrest, police officers searched the vehicle that the family arrived at JC Pennye’s in, where over $1,500 worth of stolen clothing taken frmo the other stores was recovered.All four were charged with petit larceny, which is a misdemeanor for the theft at JC Penney.All four were additionally charged with one count of criminal possession of stolen property int he fourth-degree, for being in possession of the stolen clothing from the stores in the City of Utica, Village of Whitebsoro, and Town of New Hartford.All four subjects were taken to the New Hartford POlice Department, where they were processed on the charges and where 125 pieces of stolen merchandise were inventoried and later returned to the respective stores from which they were taken.Allf our will answer these charges in the Town of New Hartford Court at a later date.

AUSTIN TX. Highland Mall security guards face scrutiny after a shoplifting incident Monday afternoon.
Sheree King fled police and mall security after they questioned her for shoplifting.
Brian Hinojosa said he was driving away from the mall when King jumped into his car, and then a mall security guard pepper-sprayed him.
A spokesman for the security company said on the phone the officer felt he was in danger.
Yet the driver said he was just an innocent man leaving the mall after a shopping trip.
“There has to be some kind of policies and procedures, not just, ‘Hey pull out your deal, and just start spraying!’” Hinojosa said. “I mean, there’s got to be something else besides that, but, you know, hey, that’s just me.”
“Our officer ordered the driver to turn the vehicle off, and the driver failed to comply,” said Larry Reuben, spokesman for Allied Barton Security.
Hinojosa said he’s contacted a lawyer for legal action.
Police took King into custody for evading arrest.

POHATCONG TWP. PA. A man allegedly broke into the Phillipsburg Mall on Oct. 10, township police report.
Barry Deans, 43, with addresses in Roosevelt, N.Y. and Maxton, N.C., is charged with burglary, possession of burglary tools and criminal mischief. Police said mall security officers saw the suspect in the mall about 1:52 a.m. and called 911. Township police responded and arrested Dean, authorities said. Police said he pried open an entrance into the mall.

VERNON HILLS IL. — A local man suspected of sexually assaulting a young woman last July in the parking lot of the Target store on Townline Road was arrested last week after he allegedly attempted a retail theft and was recognized by an employee.
The sex assault occurred around 8:30 p.m. July 3 in the target parking lot at 313 Townline Road. The 23-year-old victim said she was walking to her vehicle in a remote area of the parking lot when a man confronted her and then sexually assaulted her. She was treated and released from Condell Medical Center, Libertyville.
On Oct. 9, a loss prevention agent at Target recognized the male from the store’s surveillance cameras and observed him commit a retail theft, said James Levicki, crime prevention officer with the Vernon Hills Police Department.
Jose A. Gutierrez, 31, of 357 Farmingdale Circle, Vernon Hills, was arrested for the retail theft, and police investigators questioned him about the sexual assault.
“Our hats are off to the loss prevention agents at Target for helping us identify the offender in this case,” said Police Chief Mark Fleischhauer.
“This just goes to show how much of a difference one person can make when you choose to get involved,” he said.
Gutierrez was charged with one count of criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault and is being held in Lake County jail in lieu of $500,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Lake County Circuit Court at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 9, police said.

VINELAND N.J. — Police filed a shoplifting complaint but could not locate Alvin G. Graves, 44, of the 1200 block of Mayfair Street following an incident at Rite Aid at Delsea Drive and Landis Avenue Sunday morning.
Graves allegedly dropped his identification when he left the store with a $19.99 beard trimmer around 11 a.m. and left in a white Oldsmobile.
Police found the car a short time later at Seventh Street and Landis Avenue, but Graves could not be located. He was mailed a summons charging him with shoplifting. Graves was charged with shoplifting Oct. 10 at Rite Aid in the 500 block of Landis Avenue, police said.
In other recent shoplifting arrests:
Rufus Gist, 45, of Villa Avenue was charged with shoplifting items valued at $24 at the Delsea ShopRite Sunday afternoon.
Rodney J. Gibson, 46, of the 300 block of Linwood Avenue was charged with shoplifting $177 in merchandise, including three packages of Crest White Strips, at the Delsea ShopRite on Sunday morning.
Heriberto Garcia, 27, of the 300 block of North Pearl Street in Bridgeton was charged with shoplifting cologne valued at $186 at Boscov’s in Cumberland Mall Friday. Garcia was served warrants for failure to appear in Vineland and Bridgeton municipal courts.

E-Bay Store Stocked With Shoplifted Goods by; Rick McCann www.privateofficer.com

Saturday, October 20, 2007

E-Bay Store Stocked With Shoplifted Items by; Rick McCann www.privateofficer.com

New London ,CT. Oct 20, 2007

Crystal Mackin and Pamela Murphy were entrepreneurs, according to a state prosecutor.
They went on “inventory runs” to Olde Mistick Village, shoplifting merchandise that they turned around and sold on eBay, the online auction site, said Lawrence J. Tytla, supervisory assistant state’s attorney. At one point, there were 1,609 items advertised on their eBay site, he said.
Their “enterprise” was criminal, and on Wednesday the two women were sentenced in New London Superior Court for first-degree larceny and ordered to repay the small businesses whose merchandise they stole. Tytla said one of the more unfortunate aspects of the case was that Mackin brought her infant along on the “inventory runs,” using the baby carriage to conceal stolen items.
Judge Susan B. Handy sentenced Murphy, a 41-year-old from Lisbon who has four prior larceny convictions and a burglary conviction, to five years in prison, suspended after 11 months, and three years probation. The judge sentenced Mackin, a 24-year-old mother of three from Griswold with no prior history of larceny, to three years in prison, fully suspended, and three years probation.
“I’m going to give you a break, but I am the last face you want to see if you violate your probation,” Handy told Mackin.
None of the shop owners attended the sentencing hearings, but they had provided the state with lists of the merchandise stolen from their business. Many of the items were recovered after police executed search-and-seizure warrants at the women’s homes. Police recovered items with a retail value of $21,000 at Murphy’s home at 207 S. Burnham Highway in Lisbon, and another $18,000 worth at Mackin’s home at 1531 Glasgo Road in Griswold. The judge ordered each of the women to repay $6,679, and both had already deposited the bulk of the funds in their attorneys’ client funds.
Police recovered a variety of goods, from Vera Wang handbags to skin-care products and stuffed animals. They said the women were running a sophisticated operation in which items were cataloged in cabinets and packed for shipment to buyers.
The women both apologized for their crimes Wednesday after their lawyers argued for less prison time. Attorney Randall Ortega said Murphy had substance abuse and mental-health issues going back to her childhood, and that her mother taught her to shoplift when she was 13 or 15 years old.
“Pam’s here because she stole, and she stole because she’s sick,” Ortega said.
Handy told Murphy she is lucky she is not being convicted as a persistent larceny offender, which would carry a heavier sentence.
Attorney Christopher Anderson argued that Mackin was a destitute young mother of three when she committed the crimes. He said she was living in a trailer that she co-owned with Murphy’s brother, who is the father of one of her children but was not supporting her. Mackin has since become a certified nursing assistant and is employed full time, he said. Mackin wore her nursing uniform to the sentencing.
“I can assure you I will never do anything like this again,” Mackin told the judge. “I just want to go home to my babies and watch them grow.”

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