TO CREATE THE CRIMINAL OFFENSE OF ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT.

Coordinated retail theft brings felony penalties

Arkansas law creates organized retail theft for people who knowingly work with at least one other person. It covers stealing retail goods meant mainly for personal, family, or household use. It also covers organizing, supervising, funding, directing, seeking others’ help with, or otherwise aiding that theft. Covered methods include removing, destroying, disabling, or evading theft or inventory controls to help carry out the theft. Other methods include staying unlawfully inside a store after hours, using electronic devices, or using rental, stolen, or another person’s vehicles. The stolen goods must be worth more than $1,000, either in one theft or combined over 120 days. Value means the actual retail price at the time and place of the crime. Using either a single theft’s value or the 120-day total, felony classes are D for more than $1,000 but less than $5,000; C for more than $5,000 but less than $25,000; and B for $25,000 or more. The text does not assign a felony class at exactly $5,000. Unaltered price tags or other markings, identified photographs of them, shipping manifests, and bills of lading serve as initial evidence of value and ownership. Thefts across judicial districts can be combined and charged in any district where at least one occurred. Each such district has authority to hear the case.