Police seek three suspects who dragged LP associate through parking lot [Viral Video]
Wayne, New Jersey, police are searching for three women who were seen on video assaulting a loss prevention associate from Lord and Taylor at the Willowbrook Mall officials said. On Nov. 30 at 7:50 p.m., the three suspects were seen stealing items from the store, said Capt. Larry Martin. When a loss prevention associate approached the women in the parking lot, the suspects attempted to drive away, dragging the employee with their white Nissan SUV. The employee hit his head on the pavement, cut his head and received a concussion. He is recovering. An investigation revealed the car had a New York registration and was a rental vehicle. Police were unable to locate the car after the assault. Wayne police are asking the public to help identify the three women. Anyone with information can contact Detective Anne Shivas at 9723-633-3552 or at shivasa@waynetownship.com or the detective bureau at 973-633-3530. [Source: North Jersey News
“Mugger” turns out to be overzealous LP associate, $400k suit says
A 26-year-old Oregon man who thought he was being mugged last month at a Gresham Safeway filed a $400,000 lawsuit Monday after learning the man who grabbed him from behind was a loss-prevention officer at the store. Yousef Ramadan says he was carrying a basket of unpaid groceries with him when he took a step or two outside the doors of Safeway to look at a display of propane tanks for sale. That’s when he says he was forcefully “bear hugged” from behind by the unidentified man. He dropped the groceries. Ramadan says he was able to break free and threw the man his wallet out of fear the man might follow as Ramadan sprinted away. Ramadan later learned that the man who grabbed him was actually a loss prevention associate at the store, according to the lawsuit. Jill McGinnis, a Safeway spokeswoman, declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. Ramadan said he had been carrying two gallons of milk and a 24-pack of soda he hadn’t paid for yet. But he said he had every intention of going back into the store and paying after checking out the propane tank display, which was outside the doors of the store but still under the covered awning.
He said his fiancee had pulled up their car in front of the doors, and he planned to get an empty propane tank from the car so he could compare it to the display of full tanks to make sure it was the same size. “I didn’t think anything of it because I wasn’t trying to steal,” Ramadan said. Ramadan said the loss prevention associate should have said something to him. “He could have said, ‘Loss prevention! Safeway! Stop!'” Ramadan said. “He could have said something, and I wouldn’t have ran.” Ramadan said he was sore for days from being grabbed. Nonetheless, he said he had to go to work the next day as a farmer of rabbits and poultry. A Gresham police spokesman, Detective Adam Baker, said store loss prevention associates don’t have any more authority to apprehend suspects than other civilians. Baker said they can make a “citizen’s arrest” but must be willing to back up the arrest with good reason. Although no one wants to lose property to thieves, Baker said police advise against citizen’s arrests because of the potential for injury. “Property can be replaced,” Baker said. Attorneys say loss-prevention officers who end up hurting suspects, especially innocent suspects, or wrongfully detaining them can be on the hook in civil court. Some stores have policies forbidding physical contact but instruct loss prevention to document evidence, including suspects’ license plates. [Source: The Oregonian]
Cyber felon draws a 14-year sentence
Roman Valeryevich Seleznev was sentenced on Friday to 14 years in prison for his role in a $50 million cyber fraud ring and a $9 million bank-hacking scheme. The purported Russian cyber-criminal, aka Track2, Bulba and Ncux, pleaded guilty to one count of participating in a racketeering enterprise and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, receiving 168 months in jail in each case. The racketeering case was prosecuted in the District of Nevada, and the banking case in the Northern District of Georgia. Seleznev has also been convicted in the state of Washington for his role in a scheme to hack into point-of-sale computers. For that, he was sentenced of 27 months. All the sentences will run concurrently In addition, Seleznev was sentenced to three years of supervised release in each of the two new cases by U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones, of the Northern District of Georgia. And, Seleznev was ordered to pay $50.8 million in the racketeering case, which was filed in the Northern District of Nevada, and $2.1 million in the bank case, which took place in the Northern District of Georgia. [Source: Media Post]
LP Worldwide: Four teenage boys arrested in connection with armed robberies in Canada
Four teenage boys have been arrested in connection with the armed robbery of two retail stores, including a 14-year-old who allegedly served as the crew’s getaway driver. Both stores were robbed by two teens in masks, with one carrying a shotgun to threaten store clerks. Their first robbery took place at a variety store on Nov. 29 in the Dawes Rd. and Danforth Ave. area just before 6 p.m. Police say a demand for money was made, but did not specify if the teenagers made off with anything. The second holdup was an hour later in the Lawrence Ave. E. and Scarborough Golf Club Rd. area, and police say the two thieves left with a “quantity of money.” The youngest member of the team drove the car, which was stolen, both times. The day after the holdups, officers from 41 Division spotted the stolen car and gave chase when the driver refused to pull over. After a short pursuit, two occupants in the vehicle were arrested. An investigation was launched, and on Dec. 1, two more boys were arrested. Police also located three rifles that had been stolen in a residential break-in on Nov. 28. A 14-year-old, 17-year-old and two 16-year-olds are facing multiple charges. One of the 16-year-olds is charged regarding only the possession of stolen firearms. The other three are facing counts of robbery with a firearm, disguising with intent, unauthorized possession of a firearm, use of a firearm in the commission of an indictable offence, and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, among other related charges. [Source: The Daily Star]
Two suspects in retail theft ring arrested
Las Vegas Metro police arrested two suspects wanted for their alleged involvement in a retail theft ring that targeted at least eight different businesses. Raul Cruz, 26, and Kenneth Payne, 30, were taken into custody and face multiple charges including robbery with a deadly weapon, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery in connection with eight different events, according to an LVMPD release. The retail store robberies began in October 2017 in Las Vegas and North Las Vegas. Officers were originally dispatched to reports of a robbery around 8 p.m. in the 8600 block of West Charleston Boulevard, a release said.
Employees told police that a group of men entered the store who matched the description of the suspects shown in local news stories regarding recent robberies. The suspects were loading merchandise into shopping carts as employees flagged down arriving officers. An employee confronted the suspects as they headed towards the back of the store to find an exit. Cruz threatened the employee with a baton as the group of suspects fled the store through a rear door. An officer arrived at the rear of the store as the suspects exited and fled on foot. Cruz was taken into custody in a nearby neighborhood. Payne, the getaway driver, remained at the scene where he was arrested. Police said four additional robbery suspects remain unidentified. Police ask that anyone with information on the events should call the LVMPD Crimes Bureau at 702-828-3483. [Source: Fox5 News]
Five people from Houston accused of pepper spraying employee in Austin robbery
Two violent shoplifting encounters have left some shoppers speechless. “It’s unfortunate that people get so wrapped up in a terrible focus,” Dede Weatherly said. “That’s unnecessary.” “That’s just insane,” Sharon West said. “I cannot even imagine that. I’m shocked. They really wanted to get away with that, didn’t they?” On Nov. 30, Austin Police arrested five people for a violent incident at a Victoria’s Secret. Tunsia Young, Dwona Mursphy, Tresor Latin, Diavian Curry, and Levi Shaw are charged with robbery assault. Officers say they were caught stealing nearly $3,000 worth of merchandise, and pepper sprayed a worker who confronted them. In north Houston on Monday, another employee got hurt after he confronted a shoplifter inside Sam’s Club. “To our understanding, it was an all-out physical fight,” Harris County Constable Mark Herman said. “She tried to do whatever she could do to leave the store and get out there once they tried to detain her.”
Herman said Melony Hollins bit a loss prevention associate. Deputies found $500 worth of merchandise on her at the Sam’s Club. Because she decided to fight, she faces a robbery charge, and upwards of 10 years behind bars. “If it would’ve been a $500 theft, it would’ve been a state jail felony,” Herman said. “She could’ve done six months to two years. Herman said this isn’t the first time his department has been called to a scene where a customer turned violent. But he said it tends to happen more this time of year because the stores have increased security during December. “Best advice we can give is to allow trained, certified loss prevention folks to handle those situations and to follow those policies.” Herman said. If you’re a customer, and see a violent shoplifter, Herman said you can call police, alert an another employee or use your smart phone. “My quickest reaction is to grab my camera and get any identification because my memory isn’t going to remember to describe somebody so take a picture.” shopper, Sharon West said. “I would caution you doing that because if the suspects see you doing that it could put you in harms way,” Herman said. But Herman said it could also lead to an arrest if the violent suspect got away. [Source: ABC13 Eyewitness News]
The post Breaking News in the Industry: December 7, 2017 appeared first on LPM.