TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) – Three men have been convicted for operating a retail theft scheme that targeted home improvement stores, the Attorney General’s Office announced Wednesday.
Officials said Micah Allen Pierce, 35, Jesse Raul Henderson, 31, and Clint Anthony Anaya, 39, stole over 70 ceiling fans that were valued at $28,000 and resold them on Facebook Marketplace.
Store security officers identified Pierce and his Facebook account and referred the case to the Tucson Police Department. Investigators linked Pierce, Henderson, and Anaya to 28 thefts around Arizona, including stores in Pima, Maricopa, and Pinal counties.
“Sometimes we say ‘Oh, well, someone’s just ripping off from some big retailer. It’s a Wal-Mart or a Home Depot who cares?’ Well, you should care. But, you should care because that affects prices for everything else you pay for in that store,” said state Attorney General Mark Brnovich.
Pierce pled guilty one count each of fraudulent schemes and artifices and organized retail theft. Officials said he faces a mandatory prison sentence between one to nearly four years. After his release, he faces up to 7 years in supervised probation.
Officials said Pierce was also caught swapping UPC labels on products using a Walmart self-checkout line. In that case, he pled guilty to unlawful possession and use of alteration of universal code label. He faces an additional term of probation or two years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced for all convictions on April 14.
Henderson pled guilty to one count each of trafficking in stolen property and organized retail theft. He faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 10 years. After his release, he faces up to three years of supervised probation. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30.
Anaya pled guilty to one count each of trafficking in stolen property and attempted organized retail theft. He was sentenced to five years in the Arizona Department of Corrections on February 7. After his release, he will serve five years of supervised probation.
“Maybe it’s ceiling fans today, but it’s something more serious tomorrow,” Brnovich said.
Brnovich also noted these arrests were possible due to a newly launched initiative called the “Organized Retail Crime Task Force” dedicated to crimes relating to stealing and then later being resold.
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