Attorney General Dave Sunday joined Philadelphia-area law enforcement and community partners to discuss Year One achievements of the Office of Attorney General’s Organized Retail Crime Unit, and how collaboration is resulting in arrests, prosecutions, and recoveries of stolen goods.
The Organized Retail Crime Unit launched on July 1, 2024, following Act 42 (of 2023) and a new criminal statute that made retail theft of goods over $50,000 a first-degree felony.
In its first year, the unit opened more than 65 investigations, charged more than 40 alleged thieves, and recovered nearly $2 million in stolen goods.
The Organized Retail Crime Unit responds to high-dollar thefts, typically perpetrated by multiple thieves who manipulate gift cards and store return/exchange policies — or, in many cases, enter retail stores in packs and steal as many items as they can as quickly as possible.
“This unit is aggressively pursuing thieves who operate in packs, oftentimes terrorizing purely innocent store employees and shoppers,” Attorney General Sunday said. “The perception that retail theft is a petty crime is outdated, as these crimes are violent in nature and designed to menace and frighten bystanders. With the help of our partners, we have made big strides in stopping these criminal enterprises, and sending a strong message to anyone thinking of committing these crimes.”
The Pennsylvania legislature took action as law enforcement noticed a trend in violent, pack-style thefts at stores — typically high-end retailers or stores with expensive items, like smart phones and other electronics, small appliances, or luxury brand clothing.
Attorney General Sunday hosted a media event this week in Montgomery County, as many thefts occur in the Philadelphia area, home to many retail stores and high traffic areas.
The OAG’s Organized Retail Crime Unit is staffed with ten agents and five attorneys who work across the Commonwealth.
Here are some examples of the unit’s achievements in Year One:
Thieves use stolen credit cards to buy more than $100,000 from Lowe’s stores in several counties
Philadelphia-based 5th Street Crew targets high-end retailers in blitz-style thefts
FedEx employees charged with engineering $173K stolen cellphone scheme
