The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office reports that a local woman has racked up an indictment for a hefty haul of stolen goods totaling over $56,000. Janeice Renee Downs, 24, is facing 16 charges of thievery, spotlighted by the efforts of the Organized Retail Theft Task Force that has been spearheading investigations and prosecutions in the escalating retail crime sweeping the region.

According to a press release from the District Attorney's office, Downs, also known under the alias Janeice Smith, while in King County, Washington, was handed a true bill of indictment on April 22. The indictment includes six counts of Organized Retail Theft, three counts of Aggravated Theft in the First Degree, and seven counts of Theft in the First Degree. But the totals don't end there – Downs also allegedly has over $400,000 in retail theft tied to her name in the neighboring state of Washington.

Mike Schmidt, the Multnomah County District Attorney, has expressed gratitude for the collaboration that’s been crucial in bringing people like Downs to face justice. The DA's statement highlighted the aid of Detective Andrew Hearst of Portland, Detective Jeffry Christiansen of Bellevue, and Detective Nyla Poulson of Tigard, underscoring the interservice cooperation.

While the charges might suggest a deep-crime streak, it’s critical to remember that an indictment is not synonymous with guilt; Downs is presumed innocent until proven guilty in the eyes of the law. She awaits further legal proceedings, ensnared in the criminal justice system's grasp, with additional charges pending in Multnomah and other Oregon counties.