Latest news with #RacketeerInfluencedandCorruptOrganizations
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SC Solicitor pushing for gang statute, RICO law to fight crime
BEAUFORT COUNTY, SC (WSAV) – A push for tougher penalties to fight gang violence is gaining momentum in South Carolina. Local prosecutors said what they have now isn't enough to stop organized crime which is why they said a new law could help keep communities safer. 'Take out the organization that that allows the fentanyl to get on the streets to begin with,' 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone said. 'That's an essential tool that prosecutors in South Carolina need.' And a tool that 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone said he and other prosecutors have been asking for, for three years. 'We have a statute basically now that no one uses,' Stone said. 'Which is a five-year felony, for either enticing somebody to join a gang or trying to keep them from leaving a gang. And I don't know that anyone's ever prosecuted anybody for that. The penalty is not stiff enough for it to make any difference. And the second thing is that no one's going to testify that they were forced into a gang.' What Stone wants is a RICO or Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations law. Something 33 other states, including Georgia, already have in place. 'It began as a federal law to go after organized crime and arrest people for big conspiracies, but it was written much broader than that,' Eric Segall, Georgia State Professor, chair of College of Law said. Officially, it provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. In broad terms, the statute would allow prosecutors to connect suspects to each other and to their crimes. A group of three or more can be a 'gang' and face an additional charge and up to 20 more years behind bars. It's a statute that Stone's office is already preparing for. 'We now have an investigator, a prosecutor and an intelligence analyst focused on nothing but gang members in our in our office,' Stone said. 'We did that several months ago. And we are collecting data now to determine how many individual gang members we have. I see gangs operate from Jasper County into Buford County and vice versa Collison County into Hampton County. It already has exceeded over 100 gang members in the 14th circuit.' 'Every time you hear about a drive by shooting, generally speaking, that is a that's gang activity, whether it's drive by into a car, into a house, into a crowd of people, it almost always is three or more people getting together to maybe retaliate against people who had shot at them or something like that.' 'By definition, if you choose to be a gang member, you're probably a career criminal. So, part of our intelligence is determining who those people are and making sure that that we treat them accordingly.' Stone said the SC General Assembly currently has three versions of potential gang or RICO statutes waiting for debate. He said they hoped they will bring them to the floor and pass them next session. 'They're very good bills. I've seen all three of them, and they're very they're very good,' Stone said. 'But they're going to have to pass it for us to be able to use it. Prosecutors throughout South Carolina have been pushing for this for a number of years, and the people in this District or in the Circuit would see the difference almost immediately. I think a lot of I know cases that I would be able to use that statute on now.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Time of India
How Walmart and Target may have worked together to bust a $100,000 AirPods theft ring
Two women from New York, US, have been sentenced to 10 years in prison for operating a multistate retail theft ring involving over $100,000 worth of goods, including Apple AirPods , from Walmart and Target stores. Prosecutors in Cherokee County initially considered charges in May 2024 when Walmart Global Investigations met with their Gang and Organized Crime Unit to discuss a "large theft ring involving both Walmart and Target." The two retail giants collaborated to investigate the thefts by sharing information with each other before contacting law enforcement agencies, according to prosecutors. From June 2022 through August 2024, the women stole nearly $141,000 worth of merchandise in 187 incidents across 21 states, including Georgia. The women, Ebony Fallon Washington (aka Stephanie Harris), 43, and Melissa Holland (aka Keisha Wilson), 46, pleaded guilty to three counts of violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office said to USA Today. How these women used to steal AirPods from Walmart and Target store Their scheme involved buying Apple AirPods with cash and using tools to remove the genuine products from their packaging. They would then replace the AirPods with cheaper items and reseal the boxes to appear unopened. The fraudulent items were then returned for full cash refunds. In some cases, the refunded cash was used to purchase more AirPods, continuing the cycle. The authentic Apple products were kept and resold for profit, according to prosecutors. The suspects were arrested in September 2024 in Coweta County. During a search of their rental car, officers found hotel receipts for locations near the targeted stores and tools for opening AirPods packaging. Prosecutors noted that five cellphones seized from the defendants contained additional evidence. Each woman received a 10-year prison sentence, followed by 10 years of probation, and was ordered to pay $134,951.86 in restitution—the remaining balance after recovered items were deducted from the total theft value. A Walmart spokesperson told USA Today on May 9 that the company is deferring further comment to law enforcement, and Target had not responded to requests for comment. 'Organised retail crime is a growing problem not only in our community, but nationwide,' DA Susan Treadaway said in a statement (as seen by USA Today). The DA also noted that these two women were 'clearly involved in an organised scheme' that impacted stores 'throughout the country.' Meanwhile, Rachel Murphy, Assistant District Attorney of the Gang and Organized Crime Unit said: 'These defendants operated in a coordinated effort with a specific plan in place. Although only two stores in Cherokee County were directly affected, Georgia's RICO Act enabled us to prosecute this broader criminal enterprise.'
USA Today
09-05-2025
- USA Today
Walmart, Target work together to thwart AirPod theft scheme stretching 21 states, DA says
Walmart, Target work together to thwart AirPod theft scheme stretching 21 states, DA says Two New York women were sentenced after pleading guilty to stealing over $100,000 in items from Walmart and Target stores across the country. Show Caption Hide Caption Walmart begins using bodycams on employees The retailer Walmart is starting its body cam pilot program at select U.S. locations, fitting store level associates with body cameras. Cheddar Two New York women were sentenced to a decade in prison for operating a multistate retail theft ring that involved stealing over $100,000 worth of goods from Walmart and Target stores. Ebony Fallon Washington (a.k.a. Stephanie Harris), 43, and Melissa Holland (a.k.a. Keisha Wilson), 46, both pleaded guilty to three counts of violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office said. According to prosecutors, from June 2022 through August 2024, the women stole nearly $141,000 worth of merchandise in 187 different incidents across 21 states, including Georgia. 'Organized retail crime is a growing problem not only in our community, but nationwide,' DA Susan Treadaway said in a statement. The DA added that the two women were "clearly involved in an organized scheme" that impacted stores "throughout the country." Women's scheme involved returning fraudulent AirPods: DA The women's scheme consisted of them buying Apple AirPods with cash, using tools to remove genuine products from their packaging, replacing them with cheaper items, resealing the boxes to appear unopened and returning the fraudulent items for full cash refunds, the DA's office said. In some cases, they used the refunded cash to buy more AirPods, thus continuing the cycle. They would also keep the authentic Apple products to resell for profit, according to prosecutors. 'These defendants operated in a coordinated effort with a specific plan in place. Although only two stores in Cherokee County were directly affected, Georgia's RICO Act enabled us to prosecute this broader criminal enterprise,' Assistant District Attorney Rachel Murphy, of the Gang and Organized Crime Unit, said in a statement. Walmart and Target joined together in effort to curb theft scheme Prosecutors in Cherokee County first considered bringing charges against the women in May 2024, when Walmart Global Investigations met with their Gang and Organized Crime Unit to discuss a "large theft ring involving both Walmart and Target," the DA's office said. The two retail giants worked together to investigate the thefts and opted to share information with each other before going to law enforcement agencies, according to prosecutors. The women were eventually arrested on Sept. 13, 2024, in Coweta County, southwest of Atlanta. While executing a search warrant, authorities found receipts for hotels near retail stores targeted in the scheme and tools used to open AirPods packaging in the women's rental car, according to the DA's office. Authorities found more incriminating evidence on five cellphones that were being used by the women, prosecutors said. In addition to the 10-year prison sentences, the women will also have to serve 10 years of probation and pay a total of $134,951.86 in restitution, which reflects the remaining balance after the value of recovered items was deducted from the total theft amount, the DA's office said. USA TODAY contacted Walmart and Target on May 9 but has not received a response. Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at JLimehouse@
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
2 sentenced for stealing nearly $141K in AirPods, removing them from boxes, then returning for cash
Two women have learned their fate after they pleaded guilty to an organized retail crime scheme that involved the Peach State. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On Wednesday, the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office announced that Ebony Fallon Washington (aka Stephanie Harris), 43, and Melissa Holland (aka Keisha Wilson), 46, both of New York, pleaded guilty to three counts of violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. The pair was sentenced to 20 years each, with the first 10 years to be served in prison. The sentencing stems from an investigation that began in June 2022. According to court documents, from June 2022 through August 2024, the pair stole nearly $141,000 in merchandise in 187 incidents in 21 states, including Georgia. The pair went to stores all around the metro Atlanta area including Acworth, Adel, Austell, Buford, Calhoun, Columbus, Conyers, Covington, Cumming, Dallas, Fayetteville, Flowery Branch, Fort Oglethorpe, Grovetown, Hampton, Hiram, Holly Springs, Kennesaw, LaFayette, Macon, Marietta, McDonough, Milton, Norcross, Rockmart, Roswell, Smyrna, Stockbridge, Tifton, Trion, and Woodstock. TRENDING STORIES: The DA said the women would purchase AirPods with cash, remove the real products from their boxes, replace them with less valuable items, reseal the packaging to appear unopened, and return the fake products for full cash refunds. Officials said the pair kept the real Apple products to resell for profit. Prosecutors say they began investigating in May 2024, when Walmart Global Investigations met with the Gang and Organized Crime Unit of the DA's office to discuss a large theft ring involving both Walmart and Target. In September 2024, law enforcement agencies caught and arrested the pair in Coweta County. Officers said they found key evidence from the women's rental car, including receipts for hotels near the stores targeted in the scheme and tools to open the AirPods boxes. Authorities said they also discovered five cell phones used by the pair. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Both women are also ordered to pay a $134,951.86 in restitution, which is the remaining balance after the value of recovered merchandise was deducted from the total theft amount. As part of their probation, they are to have no contact with each other; they are banned from all Walmart and Target locations, cannot enter Cherokee County, and are required to complete 320 hours of community service. 'Organized retail crime is a growing problem not only in our community, but nationwide. In Cherokee County, we judiciously use RICO indictments for individuals like these defendants who were clearly involved in an organized scheme which impacted stores locally as well as throughout the country,' said District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway. RELATED VIDEO:
Black America Web
07-05-2025
- Black America Web
Phone Tap: The Government Intercepted Over 20K Of Big U's Calls
Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE Source: Leon Bennett / Getty It seems Big U has been on the federal government's radar for some time. Prosecutors have revealed they have intercepted over 20,000 of his calls and more. As per Complex, the entertainment manager might have the fight of his life on his hands when it comes to his upcoming RICO trial. In a recent court filing, the federal government has disclosed that they have whopping amount of material on Big U. In their possession are '20,000 intercepted audio calls, as well as numerous surreptitious audio and video recordings.' One of the calls allegedly captures Big U telling someone that he is still very much an active gang member, which contradicts his public persona as a community organizer. 'I'm retired, ni**a? Activist? I'll pull up on your block right now, ni**a, and show up and show out, ni**a what happened to the last ni**as that thought I was retired,' Big U said. Other pieces of evidence are tied to other reporting, investigative work, search warrants, photographs and other items that add up to about to 60 gigabytes of material. In order to properly prepare for the looming trial his six co-defendants have requested that it be postponed until May 4, 2026. Big U on the other hand wants to proceed with the original scheduled date. On March 19, Eugene Henley Jr. was charged with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. More specifically the feds say he and the Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips engaged in robbery, extortion, fraud and the alleged murder of a upcoming rapper. 'The RICO charges against Mr. Henley and his associates reflect a pattern of crimes that runs the gambit from extortion to tax evasion, all under the umbrella of a well-organized criminal organization led by Mr. Henley,' said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. 'Additionally, Mr. Henley allegedly duped the County of Los Angeles by running a charitable organization that promoted anti-gang solutions while continuing criminal activity that was directly contrary to his charity. IRS-CI is proud to partner with fellow law enforcement organizations to investigate these criminal organizations to protect our communities from further harm.' Big U has pleaded not guilty to the charges. SEE ALSO Phone Tap: The Government Intercepted Over 20K Of Big U's Calls was originally published on
