TRENTON – The indictment of 13 individuals Dec. 15, including two alleged leaders, on charges they conspired in a shoplifting ring in South Jersey that stole more than $100,000 worth of clothing items from Marshalls and TJ Maxx stores, was announced by Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman in a release.
The Division of Criminal Justice obtained a state grand jury indictment charging two alleged leaders of the ring with the second-degree crime of leader of an organized retail theft enterprise:
Alicia C. Blackburne, 27, of Galloway, and Robert J. Campbell, 29, who lives with Blackburne in Galloway.
Blackburne and Campbell were charged, along with each of the other 11 defendants, with second-degree conspiracy, second-degree shoplifting and third-degree shoplifting.
Shoplifting is graded as a second-degree crime under state law when it involves thefts totaling more than $1,000 in merchandise committed as part of an organized retail theft enterprise. The second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison.
The charges stem from an investigation by the New Jersey State Police Strategic Investigation South Unit and the Division of Criminal Justice, working in concert with TJX Corporation Loss Prevention investigators, who had been tracking the activities of the ring.
Deputy Attorney General Brian Carney presented the case to the grand jury for the Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau.
The ring allegedly targeted Marshalls and TJ Maxx stores in Cape May and seven other counties.
The thefts followed a consistent pattern in which Campbell allegedly would drive Blackburne to a store and she would enter with a large shoulder bag. Blackburne allegedly would place several high-end items of designer women’s clothing into the bag and take them to a bathroom, where she would remove any security devices.
She allegedly would leave the store with the stolen items and hand them off to a co-conspirator who rode with her and Campbell or drove separately. That person allegedly would go into the store immediately and conduct a non-receipt return of the stolen clothing, obtaining a TJX Corporation gift card. TJX is the parent company for Marshalls, TJ Maxx and Home Goods.
The value of the gift cards ranged from a few hundred dollars to over $800. It is alleged that Blackburne or Campbell typically pawned the cards at pawn shops to receive approximately half of the face value in cash. It is alleged that between July 2014 and August 2015, the ring stole approximately $102,000 from the targeted stores using this method.
“Organized retail theft cost merchants $44 billion last year nationwide, according to an industry estimate,” stated Hoffman. “It’s easy to see how the losses mount when you’re dealing with thieves as methodical and prolific as the alleged members of this theft ring. We’ll continue to work closely with the industry to investigate and aggressively prosecute these criminal enterprises.”
“Working with the New Jersey State Police and TJX Corporation, we put a halt to the crooked shopping spree allegedly perpetrated by these defendants,” stated Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Our thorough investigation enabled us to indict all 13 defendants on second-degree charges as members of an organized retail theft enterprise, which means they face up to 10 years in prison.”
“The amount of theft our detectives were able to associate with this ring shows that organized retail theft is big business and it is not a victimless crime. This large scale theft costs everyone money,” stated Col. Rick Fuentes, superintendent, New Jersey State Police. “Members of the public who suspect that someone is shoplifting should not look the other way, but should report their suspicions to store security or police.”
The indictment also charges the following 11 defendants who allegedly conspired in the thefts, primarily by making non-receipt returns of the stolen clothing to obtain TJX gift cards.
Each is charged with second-degree conspiracy, second-degree shoplifting and third-degree shoplifting:
Courtney L. Perkins, 21, of Mays Landing
Amanda A. Rivera, 29, of Cape May Court House
Julias A. Williams, 57, of Cape May Court House
Megan A. Flinn, 20, of Galloway
Benett L. Bollinger, 35, of Smithville
Jennifer Distefano, 28, of Smithville
William H. Lowe, 31, of Cape May Court House
Edward J. Vanaman, 26, of Cape May Court House
Priscilla E. Laboy, 20, of Petersburg
Dylan A. Gallo, 21, of Villas
Ashley P. Blackburne, 20, of Cape May Court House, who is Alicia Blackburne’s niece.
Hoffman commended the work of detectives in the New Jersey State Police Strategic Investigation South Unit and investigators in the TJX Corporation Loss Prevention Department who conducted the investigation.
Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000, while third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000. The charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The indictment was handed up to Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier in Mercer County, who assigned the case to Atlantic County, where the defendants will be ordered to appear in court for arraignment at a later date.
The individuals are only charged with the offenses and are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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