Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday is touting the results of the first year of his office’s Organized Retail Crime Unit.
The unit launched on July 1st of 2024 following Act 42 of 2023 and a new criminal statute that made retail theft of goods of over $50,000 a first-degree felony. In its first year, the unit opened over 65 investigations, recovered nearly $2 million worth of goods and brought charges against more than 40 alleged thieves.
The Organized Retail Theft Unit typically responds to high-dollar value thefts, typically perpetrated by individuals who manipulate gift cards and store return/refund/exchange polices to benefit them. In many cases, these people will come into stores in groups to steal as many items as they can.
In a statement, Sunday said that the perception of retail theft being a petty crime is “outdated” as they are designed to frighten bystanders. He says the unit is sending “a strong message to anyone thinking of committing these crimes.”
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