The Carrollton Police Department has recently made significant inroads into dismantling organized retail theft rings, with arrests made in two separate cases involving major retailers throughout the Southeast. As reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, these cases include thefts from Lowe's stores and various Walmart outlets, with the combined losses amounting to around $200,000.
Investigators from the Carrollton Police Department worked extensively and had to collaboratively operate across state lines to crack these complex crimes. Lt. Blake Hitchcock told FOX 5 Atlanta, "The organized retail theft crime is huge across the country right now and the loss amount is tremendous." In one of the theft rings, 20-year-old Lowe's employee Lathan Johnson allegedly leaked information from business accounts to accomplices Qwaitraz Fenner and Dewaan Mack, who then utilized this data to make unauthorized purchases from the home improvement chain.
These particular fraudulent activities spanned over 34 Lowe's stores, according to FOX 5 Atlanta's coverage, in states including Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee. Meanwhile, Carrollton police have also had their hands full with another case involving more than $100,000 worth of jewelry stolen from Walmart stores. In this separate investigation, Carrollton Police have arrested one woman and are actively pursuing another suspect.
Parallel efforts by the Carrollton Police Department's Cyber Crime Unit led to the arrest of two suspects after an incident at the Carrollton Lowe's, where fraudulent contractor and business charge accounts were used for unauthorized purchases. "Through collaboration with Lowes, it was revealed that this group was responsible for over $100,000 in losses," as stated by Gradick Communications. The report also detailed how Fenner and Mack face charges including Identity Fraud, Computer Invasion of Privacy, and Organized Retail Theft.
Furthermore, the Carrollton Police's investigation into the Walmart thefts led to the identification and arrest of Larisa Vasile-Sima, a Romanian national who was residing in the U.S. illegally and who is cited as the ringleader of thefts across multiple Walmart locations. As per Gradick Communications, the collaborative efforts across multiple jurisdictions have resulted in charges and arrests of other group members linked to these organized retail thefts.
The apprehension of suspects in these cases represents a broader commitment by the Carrollton Police to combat organized retail crime and underscores the necessity for continued interagency cooperation. The ongoing investigations are expected to lead to additional arrests, as police continue to pursue leads and work with retailers to address this formidable challenge to safety and security in the retail sector.
