BIRMINGHAM (WWJ) -- Birmingham Police, with help from other local law enforcement, have taken down what they call a significant organized crime ring that's responsible for retail frauds throughout Michigan.
This investigation began back on Feb. 12, police say, when officers were called to the lululemon store in downtown Birmingham about a theft in progress.
Police arrested on suspect, identified as 27-year-old Malik Roberts, who as charged with felony retail fraud first-degree, felony identity theft, and resisting and obstructing police.
As police dug further into the case, they said they realized that Roberts, along with other yet-unnamed suspects, was involved in a much more significant organized (ORC) retail crime team, committing numerous retail frauds all across the state totaling over $140,000.
A few days later, Birmingham detectives learned that the same suspects had gotten away with $6,000 in merchandise from the lululemon store in Detroit... then driving to a business in the city where they unloaded the stolen clothing.
Birmingham detectives then conducted surveillance on the business with the Troy Special Investigation (SIU), a multi- jurisdictional task force.
When they went in with a search warrant, police said they found 17 items from the Birmingham lululemon store and a bunch of other stolen clothing, with a total value of around $41,000.
Also recovered from the business were several illegal guns and stolen appliances from various jurisdictions, police said.
"The Birmingham Police Department would like to extend a special thank you to all of our law enforcement partners that assisted with the smooth execution of this case: The Troy Special Investigations Unit, Oakland County Narcotic Enforcement Team, South Oakland County Narcotics Intelligence Consortium, and the Detroit Police Department," the Birmingham PD said, in a statement.
Details about the other suspects in this case, including their names and what charges they may face, were not immediately released.
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