A group of people are named in a theft ring that authorities said involved stores in Northeast Florida, Southeast Georgia and South Carolina.
The group of six people which included Kimberly Thompson, 46, and Christopher Coats, 41, is accused of committing 70 thefts between 2021 and 2023, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The FDLE said the thieves stole from stores in Alachua, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, St. Johns, and Volusia counties in Florida specifically, and targeted stores such as Target and Home Depot.
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Shoplifting schemes such as these are a part of a growing problem that is troubling many communities with shoppers paying the ultimate price at the register as prices steadily increase.
“Everyone who shops at any of these stores is affected by this type of crime. They are the victims in this crime as well as the businesses,” News4JAX Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney said.
The suspects in the case will be prosecuted under the RICO ACT, which targets organized crime. Investigators said the items were stolen and then sold online.
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All of the thefts were recorded on surveillance video, and they were carried out in the self-checkout lane.
The group is accused of inserting a credit card into the self-checkout machine but never completing the transaction. Investigators said this led to tens of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise walking right out the door.
“It’s a fairly common practice of how this is done,” Hackney said. “Any of these large stores, it’s that same kind of MO that happens time and time again. It’s moving through that self-checkout and walking out.”
According to the National Retail Federation, organized theft rings are costing stores across the nation billions of dollars in lost revenues.
“When they’re victims of crimes like this, it has to come out of their bottom line somewhere. And in many cases, it’s added to the cost of the items they sell. It raises the prices for everybody when they get to the cash register,” Hackney said.
A new Florida legislation proposes that shoplifters who commit up to three retail thefts in a year can be convicted of a felony.