Officials are saying that as more retail comes to Union County, so does more organized theft.
“We see this more and more with these larger retailers,” said Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips.
The prosecutor said that as large box retail has come to the county, the crime has changed. Phillips said that for many years, theft from stores was predominantly shoplifting.
He explained that as the number of large retailers increased, so did the instances of coordinated, targeted theft.
“Any larger retailer has been targets — whether it is Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, even Meijer,” said Phillips.
He said that even club stores like Costco, which check to make sure everyone entering is a member, have been targeted.
He said groups will often scout a location, looking for weaknesses. He said often one person will stay in the car while another goes into the store and walks out with the merchandise.
He said his office will work to see if investigators can identify individuals higher up the criminal ladder.
Phillips said that sometimes stores will handle a first offense in-house and issue a warning to the alleged offender, making them promise not to come back.
At that point, if the person goes into the store again it is trespassing. If they steal, while trespassing, the criminal charges against the person are more severe, Phillips said.
Additionally, he said “if we see a pattern, we will charge for engaging in a corrupt activity.”
Several years ago, Union County joined with several others to create a retail theft task force. Phillips said thieves would hit one area for a period, then move on, trusting that agencies did not share information.
These retail thefts were a focus of the recent grand jury.
The grand jury has indicted:
– Codefendants Jordan L. Wisniewski, 36, and Dale M. Allen, 41, both of Columbus. Each man faces one count of theft and one count of receiving stolen property.
According to court documents, on Jan. 12, Wisniewski and Allen went to a large retailer in Jerome Township. Phillips said one of the men allegedly went into the store and took electronics, specifically security systems and other cameras.
“He allegedly just walked out with them,” Phillips said.
The prosecutor said the man’s partner was in the parking lot waiting from him.
He said the men were identified through security camera footage that captured the theft and because any time someone sells merchandise to a pawn shop, they must give their identification.
If convicted on all counts, Wisniewski and Allen could each face as many as 24 months in prison.
– Codefendants Derl Honacher, 47, and Richard Bartlett, 49, both of Columbus. Honacher is charged with one count each of theft and breaking and entering. Bartlett is charged with two counts of breaking and entering and one count of theft.
According to court documents, on Sept. 19, the pair allegedly broke into a Jerome Township photography studio and took a zero-turn style lawn mower. On Oct. 9, Bartlett allegedly broke into another Jerome Township business and stole a backpack leaf blower. At least some of the merchandise was allegedly taken to a Columbus pawn shop and sold.
Phillips said anytime someone pawns something, they must provide identification. That identification often serves to locate thieves, as it did in this case, Phillips said.
If convicted, Honacher could face as many as 24 months in prison and Bartlett could face as many as 36 months in prison.
– Timothy Widger, 43, of Columbus. Widger is charged with one count each of theft and receiving stolen property. According to court documents, between Jan. 25 and Jan. 26, Widger went into a local store and allegedly took electronics. If convicted on both counts, Widger could face as many as 24 months in prison.
– Jesse Douglas McDaniel, 21, of 17977 Allen Center Road, Marysville. McDaniel is charged with one count each of aggravated possession of drugs and possession of drugs. The charges stem from a Nov. 19 arrest allegedly involving several illegal drugs. If convicted, McDaniel could face nearly 18 months in prison.
– Brandy Linn Baker, 35, of Columbus. Baker is charged with two counts of forgery. In October, Baker allegedly falsified information to cash a check for more than $5,400 from a local business.
If convicted, Baker could face as many as 12 months in prison.
– James Brian Allen, 51, of Lima. Allen is charged with one count of aggravated possession of drugs, stemming from a Nov. 30, incident allegedly involving Methamphetamine. If convicted, Allen could face as many as 12 months in prison.
– Anthony Van Dang, 22, of Columbus. Van Dang is charged with one count of felony possession of marijuana, stemming from an Aug. 23, arrest. If convicted, Van Dang could face as many as 12 months in prison.