Four individuals have been charged for their involvement in an organized theft ring that has been operating in Maryland.
Attorney General Anthony G. Brown made an announcement on Monday regarding the indictment of four individuals involved in a criminal ring. These individuals are responsible for stealing over $800,000 worth of items across the state. The group targeted multiple retail stores in six counties and carried out a total of 37 thefts. They used flash-mob style tactics to overwhelm store employees and successfully stole luxury goods.
Four individuals, namely Donte Bernard Shaw, aged 34 and hailing from Washington D.C.; Taquan Anthony Neal, aged 25 and residing in District Heights, MD; Antonio William Polite, aged 35 and based in Hyattsville, MD; and Samuel Cordell Whitmire Jr., aged 29 and from Alexandria, VA, are defendants in this case. They are facing multiple charges, which include participating in a criminal organization, engaging in theft schemes exceeding $100,000, conspiring to commit theft, committing second-degree burglary, and carrying out individual thefts. Additionally, Shaw is also charged with the illegal possession of a regulated firearm.
According to Paul Halliday, the Maryland Attorney General’s Chief of Organized Crime Unit, the accused have a long history of committing similar crimes.
“Many, if not all of them are already on probation for similar conduct or have been convicted of exactly the same conduct going back years.” Halliday said.
From September 2023 onwards, a series of thefts occurred across various retail outlets in Howard County, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, Montgomery County, Queen Anne’s County, and Prince George’s County. The targeted businesses included well-known brands like Sunglass Hut, Ulta Beauty, LensCrafters, Perfumania, GameStop, and Dick’s Sporting Goods. The group behind these thefts had a particular focus on stealing luxury items, such as designer sunglasses, prescription eyeglass frames, perfumes, and name-brand clothing.
Halliday said that investigators were able to correlate the 37 crimes through surveillance and comparable crime patterns.
Dick’s Sporting Goods and LensCrafters on the Rio Lakefront in Montgomery County were among the stores affected. According to criminal documents, the group took a total of $136,000 in merchandise on six different occasions.
The criminal enterprise used quick, planned thefts during business hours, often simulating a “flash mob” as many people stormed into establishments, stole stuff, and fled immediately afterwards. They occasionally burglarized establishments outside of business hours. They targeted stores multiple times within days, resulting in huge losses in several cases.
Various avenues, including internet marketplaces, resold the stolen commodities.
Halliday stated, “Ultimately, the community will bear the rise in cost and lost merchandise. The community will have to pay more for products and services.
According to Halliday, more people are connected to the organization and other crimes in the DMV.
The Maryland Attorney General’s Office is attempting to form a task force to combat organized retail crime throughout the state.
“Organized retail crimes are not victimless,” said Attorney General Brown. “Stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from businesses can lead to higher prices for products that Marylanders need and cost hardworking employees their jobs. My office will continue to protect Maryland consumers and businesses from these crimes that harm our economy.”
The four defendants will appear in Howard County Circuit Court for their trial. However, similar to other criminal trials, they remain innocent until proven guilty.
