Joliet police arrest employee accused of stealing from store
Joliet, Illinois, police arrested another JCPenney employee accused of stealing from the store at the Louis Joliet Mall. Police arrested Alexis R. House, 18, on charges of theft and retail theft. A warrant was issued for House’s arrest Wednesday and officers took her into custody at the police department. House was a JCPenney employee who allegedly stole between $10,000 and $100,000 cash from the store between May 23 and July 28, according to the criminal complaint. She also allegedly under-rang merchandise at the cash register so it would reflect about $305 for clothes that had a full retail value of about $1,444. House was booked into the Will County jail Thursday on a $20,000 bond, of which 10 percent is needed for bail.
Joliet Police Deputy Chief Ed Gregory said the store had been investigating House and found she made more than 60 fraudulent transactions totaling more than $10,000 but less than $100,000. Gregory said he didn’t know if there was a connection between House and Aurora Acevedo, 41, another JCPenney employee, who was arrested on Aug. 3 for allegedly stealing $1,400 worth of clothes from the store. Police are also seeking to arrest Jesse M. Lopez, 36, and Marvellin Gonzalez, 31, for allegedly stealing more than $300 worth of shoes, clothes and sunglasses from JCPenney. The two suspects share the same address as Acevedo. When asked if there was any connection between all four suspects or if they had been working together, JCPenney Spokesman Joseph Thomas said in an email the company does not comment on asset protection activities. [Source: The Herald-News]
Shoplifting suspect pursued through yards, fields
A Waukegan, Illinois, man was arrested on several pending charges of felony theft, along with other offenses, after an extended chase that started at the Walmart Supercenter. Mount Pleasant police said the incident began at about 9:40 a.m. when an alert loss prevention associate at Walmart recognized a man who had been seen allegedly committing felony theft on August 8. At that time, loss prevention associates were unable to apprehend the man. When the man, later identified as Che Allen Hearn, 27, was observed again allegedly committing felony theft on Monday, the store employee called Mount Pleasant police, who located the vehicle Hearn had been driving. When Hearn left the store, allegedly with more stolen items, and saw police he reportedly ran back into Walmart, where both police and store employees pursued him through the store.
Hearn reportedly left the store through a rear fire door; the pursuit continued through farm fields and residential backyards. Responding officers set up a perimeter while other officers pursued Hearn. He was eventually found and arrested in a wooded area. Hearn was arrested on pending charges of: four counts of felony retail theft and one count of retail theft from the Aug. 8 incident; and one count of felony retail theft, one count of resisting arrest and two counts of disorderly conduct from Monday’s incident starting at Walmart. Hearn was being held in the Racine County Jail on Monday afternoon, where he also was under a probation hold. [Source: The Journal Times]
Nassau man robbed store, tussles with LP associate
A Hemsptead, New York, man was arrested by police on Monday for allegedly stealing from a store in Levittown, New York, over the weekend. According to police, Philip Odom, 49, went into the Kohl’s department store, around 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Police say that Odom concealed four pocketbooks, valued at $144, in a black bag and left the store. The store’s loss prevention associate approached Odom to try to recover the stolen bags, but police say Odom pushed the man, then grabbed a thick metal chain from his bicycle and swung it at him. Police say the loss prevention associate went back into the store and called police as Odom fled on his bicycle. The loss prevention associate saw that Odom’s cell phone had fallen out of his pocket during their struggle, and held it until police arrived. No one was injured. An investigation by police led to the arrest of Odom at his home on Monday. He is charged with first-degree robbery and threatening the use of a dangerous instrument. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday in First District Court in Hempstead. [Source: Levittown Patch]
Two men arrested for counterfeited credit cards
Authorities arrested two men they say were trafficking in counterfeit credit cards. The arrest occurred during a traffic stop on Interstate 75, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said. Yohandry Hernandez, 31, and 30-year-old Kevin Flores were stopped in a vehicle that contained several counterfeit credit cards and 35 blank Walmart gift cards with zip codes written on the back. Both men have criminal histories involving credit card fraud, the sheriff’s office reported. Flores, of Lutz, is on state probation for trafficking in counterfeit credit cards. The two men have been arrested on suspicion of possession of two or more counterfeited credit cards. [Source: News-Press]
Costco owes Tiffany $19.4 million for fake Tiffany rings
A federal judge on Monday said Tiffany & Co may recover at least $19.4 million in damages from Costco Wholesale over the warehouse club chain’s illegal sale of counterfeit diamond engagement rings bearing the “Tiffany” name. US District Judge Laura Taylor Swain said Tiffany deserves $11.1 million, plus interest, representing triple the lost profit from Costco’s trademark infringement, plus the $8.25 million in punitive damages awarded by a jury last October. The Manhattan judge also permanently barred Costco from selling anything that Tiffany did not make as “Tiffany” products, unless it uses modifiers suggesting that the products have, for example, a Tiffany “setting,” “set” or “style.” Tiffany had sued Costco on Valentine’s Day in 2013. While the case concerned only about 2,500 rings, Tiffany sued to protect its brand and cachet as one of the world’s best-known luxury retailers.Tiffany last month named industry veteran Alessandro Bogliolo as its new chief executive, to help arrest declines in same-store sales as millennials spend elsewhere on accessories.
Costco had argued that “Tiffany” had become a generic term, excusing its use on a standalone basis. But the judge found Costco’s defenses “not credible,” given evidence that displays of fine jewelry were a key part of the Issaquah, Washington-based company’s marketing strategy. Salespeople “described such rings as ‘Tiffany’ rings in response to customer inquiries, and were not perturbed when customers who then realized that the rings were not actually manufactured by Tiffany expressed anger or upset,” Swain wrote. Meanwhile, Costco’s upper management “displayed at best a cavalier attitude toward Costco’s use of the Tiffany name in conjunction with ring sales and marketing,” the judge added. The jury had awarded Tiffany $5.5 million rather than $3.7 million for lost profit. Swain found the lower sum sufficient. Leigh Harlan, Tiffany’s general counsel, in a statement said the decision “sends a clear and powerful message” to anyone seeking to infringe the New York-based company’s trademark. “We brought this case because we felt a responsibility to protect the value of our customers’ purchases and to ensure that Costco’s customers were not misled,” she said. [Source: CNBC]
Woman suspected of 9 burglaries bitten by police K-9
A woman arrested in connection to a burglary at a Janesville, Wisconsin, bar is suspected in eight other burglaries and was bitten by a police K-9 when she was taken into custody, according to a release from Janesville police. Officers were called to the Drunken Monkey bar for an alarm. They said that when they arrived, they spotted a woman inside who tried to get out, but retreated back into the building when she saw officers outside. Police said the woman refused to come out and they decided to send in officers, along with K-9 Fred, who found the woman attempting to hide in the basement. Officers said the woman refused to follow commands and was bitten by K-9 Fred. Amanda M. Rodden-Clawson, 25, was treated at Mercy Hospital for puncture wounds to her right arm and released.
Rodden-Clawson was arrested in connection with numerous crimes in Janesville: Two burglaries at Bad Brad’s bar on July 3 and July 13; Three burglaries at Drunken Monkey bar on July 26, Aug. 1 and August 14; Burglary at Game Day bar August 8; Two burglaries and thefts of motor vehicles at Best Events on August 10 and August 14; Burglary to Down the Street on August 14; Criminal damage and trespass on August 13; Retail theft and obstructing at Kohls Department Store on August 8. Rodden-Clawson was arrested on suspicion of nine counts of burglary, seven counts of theft, five counts of criminal damage, two counts of operating a motor vehicle without owner’s consent and one count each of obstructing, retail theft and trespass. [Source: Channel 3000]
Home Depot reports historic quarterly sales
The Home Depot reported Tuesday quarterly sales of $28.1 billion for the second quarter of 2017, which is a 6.2 percent increase over the same period last year. “We were pleased with our results this quarter as our customers rewarded us with the highest quarterly sales in company history,” says Home Depot chairman, CEO and president Craig Menear. “We also achieved the highest quarterly net earnings in company history. These results were made possible by our hardworking associates and the outstanding values brought forth by our supplier partners.” In addition to overall sales increases, Home Depot saw comparable store sales increases of 6.3 percent.
The Atlanta-based home improvement retailer reported average ticket sales of $63.05 and $464.38 in sales per square foot during the quarter. As a result of these sales increases, the company adjusted its guidance for the fiscal year to 5.3 percent sales growth, up from 4.6 percent, and 5.5 percent growth in comparable store sales, up from 4.6 percent. In addition to strong sales in the second quarter, Home Depot purchased a power equipment and maintenance rental service for $265 million, which the company says will help it to continue focusing on its pro customer base. Home Depot has consistently reported strong sales in recent years, which the retailer has previously credited to the housing market. In its 2016 annual report, the company reported 2,281 retail stores in North America. [Source: Channel 3000]
The post Breaking News in the Industry: August 16, 2017 appeared first on LPM.