New Ohio law will crack down on organized retail theft rings

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Legislation co-written by Attorney General Dave Yost’s office and signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Mike DeWine cracks down on crime rings that steal billions of dollars of merchandise from Ohio retailers each year, fueling higher prices for consumers, according to a press release from the Ohio AG’s office.
 
“Consumers bear the cost when organized retail theft goes unchecked,” Yost said. “With this law, we aim to make sure the thieves are the ones who pay the price.”
 
The Fight Organized Retail Crime and Empower Law Enforcement Act targets theft rings with stiffer criminal penalties and creates a new statewide task force and an advisory council within the Attorney General’s Office. Yost’s office crafted the law in partnership with the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants and Ohio Chamber of Commerce. State Rep. Haraz Ghanbari and state Sen. George Lang sponsored the legislation.
 
The Ohio Council of Retail Merchants estimates that organized retail theft costs Ohio businesses $2 billion to $3 billion annually. The crime typically involves groups stealing large amounts of merchandise from multiple stores and selling the items for profit. To offset the losses, some retailers have little choice but to raise prices.    
 
The law creates a new felony offense of organized retail theft, with penalties escalating based on the value of the stolen merchandise. It also enhances penalties for repeat theft offenders, setting a minimum fourth-degree felony charge for thefts committed by individuals who have a felony-theft conviction within the previous three years.  
 
“These criminals rely on safety in numbers, but it’s a false sense of security,” Yost said. “We now can charge them as a group, making it easier to convict and imprison thieves who target retailers as part of a crime ring.”
 
Along with tougher penalties, the law establishes a new task force under Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission to investigate organized retail theft statewide. To support the task force, the law calls for the formation of the Organized Retail Theft Advisory Council, a group consisting of the attorney general and representatives from the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, Ohio Council of Retail Merchants and Ohio Grocers Association, among others.