Michigan joins the coalition and calls on the congress to take measures against organized retail crime

Press release
Attorney General of Michigan, Dana Nessel
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The Attorney General of Michigan, Dana Nessel, has joined a cross -party coalition with 38 states and territories to demand congress to take measures to combat the increase in the organized retail crime across the country.

The organized retail crime has contributed to financial losses of a total of over 121 billion US dollars in the United States, and 76 percent of the financial assets management manager report that their employees have suffered from violence through organized retail crime. In 2022, retailers in Michigan lost sales of over 2 billion US dollars. Fracht theft remains a main component of the organized retail break nationwide – disorders of the supply chains and as an inflation pressure on the price of everything from baby formula to clothing.

During the 118th congress, the house and the Senate HR895/p.140 hired – combated organized retail crime law of 2023 and p.139 – Organized Handelszentrum for Crime Center approval law of 2023. This legislation would provide the necessary resources at state and federal level in order to bring the organizations and individuals behind this nationwide problem. Now the coalition is asking the 119th congress to reintroduce this legislative template in order to involve more federal penalty for thefts of the supply chain in order to serve as a strong deterrent against the organized theft of goods on the transport.

In the letter (PDF), the coalition notes that the legislation proposed in 118th Congress would expand and synchronize the state and federal efforts with the creation of an organized retail crime center at the Department of Homeland Security, which facilitates the information on the distribution of the complex border of borders of the organized crime become.

“The Force team has had an incredible success to stop the organized retail crime rings in their routes through strong partnerships with retailers and local, state and federal authorities,” said Nessel. “Since these major criminal operations continue to become more demanding and complex, I ask the congress to receive additional resources to support our critical work in the disassembly, to blame the perpetrators and to protect companies, employees and consumers all over Michigan.”

Attorney General Nessel was at the head of fighting the organized retail crime in Michigan. In January 2023, the Attorney General set up the Force team and the organized retail criminal department in order to address criminal organizations that steal the products from individual dealers to re -pack and sell. Since its foundation, the Force team has accused more than 85 defendants and hired criminal rings that were responsible for our retailers in Michigan losses for millions of dollars and recaptured more than $ 10 million in goods and millions of more in cash and cryptocurrency that were confiscated from these criminal companies.

Two deputy lawyers General serve the unit all day and work with special agents within the Attorney General and with detectives from the state police in Michigan to examine and pursue these crimes. The Force team also works with the Task Force for fraud and financial crime from the FBI and the FBI post inspection service. The first unit in the nation, which in the 50 states as the first such unit with embedded, committed employees of the Attorney General of the Attorney General of the Department for the Biden Administration welcomed the success of the Force team on a round table last year.

The Force team is committed to working with retailers and local law enforcement authorities to combat organized retail crime. Force is an acronym that is for the enforcement of FOCUS organized retail crime. The latest company partners for investigations included Sam's Club/Walmart, Meijer, Target, Home Depot, TJ Maxx, Rite-Aid, Lululemon, Ulta Beauty, Amazon and Lowe's.

The Attorney General from Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois and South Carolina headed the letter to the congress. Joining Them and Attorney General Nessel Are the Attorney's General from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, The District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, US Virgin Islands, Washington and West Virginia.

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