YORK COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — Four Newport News residents were arrested following a retail theft ring of Walmart and Sam’s Club stores along the East Coast, the York Poquoson Sheriff’s Office said.
Law enforcement are still searching for three additional suspects.
The four arrested were identified as Lisa Byrd, Aaron Crane, James Montgomery and Timothy Ricks. They are facing charges of organized retail theft, money laundering, conspiracy to commit felony and larceny with intent to sell.
The investigation by Walmart Global started in April 2023, deputies said. The ring allegedly purchased large TVs from Walmart and Sam’s Club before replacing the new TVs with broken one and returning it, deputies said.
“Once they got these devices back in the box trucks, they had packaging material waiting, and they were able to do this in such a fashion that when they return them to the store, that whatever clerk or associate they were dealing with looked at the item and thought that it was an unboxed item or that it had not been opened,” Investigator Layne Forrest said.
Forrest also said the sheriff’s office didn’t coordinate with law enforcement from different states to make the arrests.
“As far as apprehension, it was basically boiled down to various law enforcement techniques and information that were at our disposal that we were able to use to at least find the first four,” Forrest said.
The suspects then sold the new TVs on Facebook Marketplace. James Montgomery was the first one arrested July 1. Crane was arrested July 6 and both Byrd and Ricks were arrested July 9.
Deputies are still searching for Craig Clary, Camrin Council and Shawn Washington.
Sheriff Ron Montgomery said the crimes are not just a problem for big companies like Walmart.
“When they absorb losses like this in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and approaching three quarters of one million dollars, eventually, as we all know, those losses are going to be passed down to the average consumer,” Montgomery said.
They said the ring stole from another retail giant as well.
“We have found that Target has a significant role as a victim in this matter as well,” Montgomery said. “And we are working with their loss prevention to try to see what we can do as far as criminal charges on their behalf.”