Organized Retail Crime

A new law targeting organized shoplifting rings goes into effect today. Organized retail crime is now a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years, a $5,000 fine, or both. Restitution will likely be ordered. Read the full Organized Retail Crime Act.

A person is guilty of organized retail crime when that person does any of the following;

1. Knowingly commits an organized retail crime.

2. Organizes, supervises, finances, or otherwise manages or assists another person in committing an organized retail crime.

3. Removes, destroys, deactivates, or knowingly evades any component of an anti-shoplifting or inventory control device to prevent the activation of that device or to facilitate another person in committing an organized retail crime.

4. Conspires with another person to commit an organized retail crime.

5. Receives, purchases, or possesses retail merchandise for sale or resale knowing or believing the retail merchandise to be stolen from a retail merchant.

6. Uses any artifice, instrument, container, device, or other article to facilitate the commission of an organized retail crime act.

7. Knowingly causes a fire exit alarm to sound or otherwise activate, or deactivates or prevents a fire exit alarm from sounding, in the commission of an organized retail crime or to facilitate the commission of an organized retail crime by another person.

8. Knowingly purchases a wireless telecommunication device using fraudulent credit, knowingly procures a wireless telecommunications service agreement with the intent to defraud another person or to breach that agreement, or uses another person to obtain a wireless telecommunications service agreement with the intent to defraud another person or to breach that agreement.

More: Information on Criminal Charges in Michigan

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