Alleged Theft Ring Used Switched Barcodes To Steal From Retailers

November 26, 2019

FDLE Agents arrested three suspects charged with organized retail theft who are suspected of an elaborate scheme stealing thousands from retailers throughout the Southeast United States, including here in Escambia County.

Agents believe the theft ring is responsible for more than 100 thefts in 23 Florida counties.  Two suspects remain at large.

The investigation began in May after FDLE was contacted by The Home Depot about a barcode switch scam. Agents believe the suspects printed fraudulent UPC barcodes on adhesive stickers and then placed the false labels over UPC barcodes on more expensive products at The Home Depot and Target stores.

Suspects printed UPC codes for $7.99 electrical outlets and placed them over barcodes for wireless smart dimmer switches costing $99.95 and home wi-fi systems costing $299. They also printed UPC barcodes for $19.97 rotary tool accessory kits, using the fraudulent codes to purchase $199 smart thermostats.

The investigation shows one suspect placed the false barcodes on the merchandise in store while another purchased the products. Suspects routinely purchased dozens of items costing stores thousands of dollars in a single transaction.

After the purchases, suspects mailed the items to another suspect who sold them online for large profits. FDLE agents say the thefts cost retailers more than $150,000 in Florida alone.

Suspects arrested or charged Monday are:

  • Usman Ali, 33, 12958 NW 23rd St., Pembroke Pines, FL, is charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering and grand theft, arrested on November 22, 2019, booked into the Broward County Jail.
  • Rand Clark, 58, 865 Cadogan Ave., Orlando, FL, charged with racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering, arrested September 17, 2019, in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, for a theft that occurred in a Home Depot store.
  • Gwendolyn Walker, 53, 8001 Stirrupwood Ct., Orlando, FL, charged with racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering, arrested on November 22, 2019, and booked into the Orange County Jail.
  • Harold Wilson, 62, address unknown at this time, charged with racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering, currently wanted for the charges stemming from this investigation.
  • Keith Conyers, 56, address unknown at this time, charged with racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering, currently wanted for the charges stemming from this investigation.
  • The Home Depot and Target loss prevention associates assisted with this investigation. Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution will prosecute this case.

Comments

12 Responses to “Alleged Theft Ring Used Switched Barcodes To Steal From Retailers”

  1. Eric on October 24th, 2020 8:49 am

    @Rasheed
    You are about 20 years off on the Tech and the Pricing.. Any PC with Windows, download a free app and $39 printer and you got undetectable UPC stickers, sized to order

  2. Kane on November 27th, 2019 12:42 pm

    Hi Rasheed I understand the logistics involved but nowhere in the article did it say they used self-checkouts to do this. This scam is not new it has been going around for years and years, is it easier with the self-checkouts? Maybe but they are not essential to accomplish what these people have done.

    Retail theft is not new self-checkouts did not create this problem. Randomly assuming things with no proof or offrering no proof is what is wrong with this world today. To many false sorcies of information or people using opinions as facts is the normal thing today. I will not and cannot abide this type of misinformation and will say something anytime I see this happening.

    As for robots taking jobs yes this is happening and it will continue to happen as industry modernizes and tries and applies new technology jobs will disappear. The advent of the assembly line changed the way jobs worked as well and people were worried about it then. The advent of the Pc had the same affect. Change is scary but we will make it through. Just remember those companies wont work without customers and those cant be replaced by robots……yet lol.

  3. Rasheed Jackson on November 26th, 2019 7:20 pm

    @ Kane
    The article said they used bar codes for lesser priced items, so when scanned the description of the item on the scanned bar would come up on the screen, and would not match the item in hand. A cashier should catch that. Furthermore creating a bar code that would actually scan would require access to the system that these store use and most likely a bar code printer. which is why they most likely made copies of bar codes and swapped them. The bar codes contain a lot of information about the item not just price. As an industrial E/I technician at a local industrial facility I have had the, lets say, misfortune of working on Bar code printers, scanners, the computer software and the communication systems that make them work. So I know a little about Bar code printers and scanners. Our printers are quite pricey some as much as $10k each.

  4. Hoosier Daddy on November 26th, 2019 6:58 pm

    @ Anne: I agree with you. I am not exactly lo-tech, but I refuse to use self check-out. I use the excuse that I may break the machine, embarrass myself, and have to pay for the damage. In reality, I realize that scanners, robots, and etc, are assuming many humans jobs. These machines do not pay income taxes. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Remember when a bank had several tellers. Now two or three can take care of the few walk-in customers. A future labor force will have to plan well to exist in the not so future business world.

  5. Anne on November 26th, 2019 5:43 pm

    @ Rasheed Jackson

    You are right about the Self-Checkout being a friend to theft.
    We were in a home depot store the other night and there was NO Human Clerk on what seemed to be the one checkout. All the others were Self-Check and not one employee was nearby.
    Making it easy for thugs of this sort to get away with many items before being caught.
    Also, putting human people out of work…Profit over People.

  6. John Harris on November 26th, 2019 3:02 pm

    Three of the 5 have done lots of time in prison for the same crimes. Some will never learn.

  7. Kane on November 26th, 2019 1:26 pm

    Hey Rasheed Target does not have self checkouts. Not sure about Home Depot. They would not need a self checkout to pull this scam off as they literally changed the bar code.

    I’d like to see all stores having self checkouts it’s quicker. My products don’t get squished by cashiers who don’t no how to bag and my items get bagged the right way which is my way lol.

  8. Thomas Western on November 26th, 2019 12:31 pm

    Lol,I’ve actually joked about doing this.But never thought about doing it.

  9. EMD on November 26th, 2019 8:01 am

    DISGUSTING !

  10. Rasheed Jackson on November 26th, 2019 7:59 am

    Self-checkout. A thief’s friend and accomplice. I know, I know, the article said nothing about the self-checkout but when an item is scanned the item detail comes on the register’s screen. This allows the cashier to verify the item scanned is actually the item in hand. With self-checkout there is no check so the thief self checks. Just another reason people should not use self -checkout.
    And who absorbs these losses to theft? You got it , we the consumers!!! Yes there will always be people who cheat the system and we the honest consumers will pay the price.

  11. tg on November 26th, 2019 7:27 am

    The high cost of HiTec.

  12. Tabby on November 26th, 2019 5:36 am

    Ha, they do that here at Walmart. Have been for over a year. It’s sad. Folks actually do this to support themselves instead of getting an honest job.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News