Criminal groups are increasingly targeting specific stores in Texas for certain items that can be resold online as part of organized retail crime. This holiday season, while many people are busy with their holiday shopping, these groups are working hard to steal items that are in high demand and can fetch a good price online. This trend is particularly worrying as it shows that organized retail crime is becoming more intense in Texas.
Harris County authorities have charged five individuals who were involved in a series of crimes spanning several months. The group specifically targeted Bath & Body Works stores, stealing three-wick candles and other fragrant products.
Detective James Kneipp of the Houston Police Department explained that the illicit market for luxury items such as candles, body sprays, lotions, and air fresheners is thriving. Criminals sell these items on the streets at reduced prices, making a substantial profit on each sale.
Assigned to the department’s organized crime squad, Det. Kneipp has been on the trail of thieves with a particular preference since August of last year.
According to Detective Kneipp, the suspects were brazenly walking into stores, grabbing store totes, filling them up with merchandise, and walking out the door without paying, even passing by all the points of sale.
Valisa Allen, who is 27 years old, was identified as the leader of the group of individuals involved in the incident. Sterling Hester, her boyfriend who is 25 years old, was also identified as being part of the group.
According to charging documents, the couple managed to steal around $10,000 worth of merchandise, including 352 three-wick candles that typically retail for about $30 each, over the course of one month earlier this year.
Three additional individuals associated with Allen and Hester, namely Laniya Gatson (21), Monique Hudson (27), and Raevanna Williams (24), were apprehended and accused in November.
The Tomball Police Department shared surveillance footage with KPRC 2 that reveals Gatson and Hudson stealing items from a Bath & Body Works store located in Tomball as recently as November 1.
According to data provided by Houston Police to KPRC 2, the group of suspects has committed 31 thefts since June. They have been known to strike multiple times in a single day and have targeted the same Bath & Body Works store as well as others in Houston and neighboring cities such as Texas City, Conroe, and Pearland.
Detective Kneipp stated that in several instances, the suspects were arrested, released on bond, and proceeded to commit the same offense until they were finally incarcerated.
According to a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation, Houston has been identified as one of the top five cities that are adversely affected by organized retail crime. The Texas Comptroller’s Office has stated that this problem is escalating in intensity, which is a cause for concern.
Joyce Beebe, a fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, expressed concern that if this situation continues to occur frequently, it could lead to merchants closing their stores, leaving customers with nowhere to shop.
According to Beebe, the pandemic has caused a shift in consumer behavior towards online shopping, which led to the formation of a statewide task force. As a member of the task force, she is working towards finding solutions to the challenges faced by both consumers and businesses in the online marketplace.
According to her, even criminals have caught on to the benefits of remaining anonymous online. They believe that by doing so, people won’t question their identity or where their goods are coming from. As she puts it, “criminals also capture this element.”
The task force is dedicated to investigating the effects of organized retail crime in the region and devising effective solutions to combat it. Tiana Sanford, the Montgomery County prosecutor, is part of the task force, along with executives from renowned stores such as H-E-B, Target, and 7-Eleven.
According to Det. Kneipp, the fragrances that are stolen are often sold on Facebook Marketplace unless the perpetrators are caught by the police. Back in May, the Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office took to Facebook to share details of a police chase that occurred following a Bath & Body Works theft. The chase ended in a crash, and both suspects were eventually apprehended.
According to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, three suspects implicated in the theft ring, namely Allen, Sterling, and Williams, are currently being detained without bond. Meanwhile, Gatson and Hudson, the other two suspects, were initially released on bond but are now wanted once again.
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