Retail's Most Wanted

Andrew Wimer of Descartes explains how shippers, brokers, and 3PLs can reduce cargo theft and freight fraud through stronger carrier verification, better shipment visibility, and practical security processes that don't require a large budget. Retail's Most Wanted is presented by LVT and the Attorney General Alliance. 

Cargo theft is becoming more organized and more sophisticated. Miguel Martinez of Pinkerton explains how insider threats, data security, and intelligence-driven criminal networks are reshaping supply chain risk, and what companies can do to better protect high-value shipments. Retail's Most Wanted is presented by LVT and the Attorney General Alliance. 

Cargo theft is becoming more sophisticated, with deceptive pickups, double brokering, and identity-based fraud creating new risks across the supply chain. Danny Ramon of Overhaul explains the latest cargo theft trends and why visibility, verification, and preparation are essential for protecting shipments. Retail's Most Wanted is presented by LVT and the Attorney General Alliance. 

Cargo theft is evolving beyond traditional theft and into sophisticated fraud schemes. Keith Lewis of Verisk CargoNet explains how carrier impersonation, targeted commodity theft, and supply chain fraud are changing the threat landscape, and what companies can do to better protect shipments and improve recovery outcomes. Retail's Most Wanted is presented by LVT and the Attorney General Allian...

Keith Lewis joins the show for a special trivia-style episode built around Verisk CargoNet’s Q1 2026 cargo theft data. The episode breaks down the trends shaping cargo theft across the supply chain, including theft hotspots, high-risk commodities, fraud-based schemes, and the growing role of impersonation tactics. Retail's Most Wanted is presented by LVT and the Attorney General Alliance. 

Dustin Greene explains how organized retail crime operates as a coordinated enterprise, not just isolated theft. The shift to pattern recognition, cross-jurisdiction collaboration, and real-time intelligence is critical to disrupting these networks.  Retail's Most Wanted is presented by LVT and the Attorney General Alliance. 

Why it matters Retailers in California face a complex and fast-moving regulatory environment, creating a growing need for coordinated legal strategy and earlier engagement in the policy process. The big picture Rachel Michelin, President of the California Retailers Association, says the California Retail Law Center was created to give in-house legal teams and industry leaders a dedicated forum to...

Why it matters As in-store incidents become more unpredictable, employee safety increasingly depends on how quickly help can be activated in the moment. The big picture Kenny Kelley, founder of Silent Beacon, says retail safety is shifting beyond training and procedures toward tools that enable immediate response during high-risk situations. What’s changing Retail environments are less predictable...

Why it matters Organized retail crime often moves across cities and states. Boise’s approach shows how long term partnerships and real time intelligence sharing can disrupt traveling theft crews before they move on. The big picture Ed Fritz of the Boise Police Department says Idaho has been tackling organized retail theft long before the term ORC became common. That early focus helped Boise build...

Why it matters Organized retail crime is no longer just physical theft. The real leverage now sits in how stolen goods are converted to cash and moved globally through cryptocurrency. The big picture International disputes lawyer Mahmoud Abuwasel argues that smash and grab is only the front end. The real sophistication is financial. Crypto allows syndicates to move profits across borders, fund ope...

Why it matters Organized retail crime in Arizona is coordinated, profit-driven, and increasingly mobile — making shared intelligence the key to stopping repeat offenders. The big picture Detective Mark Holtzen, Vice President of AZ ORCA, says the state’s strategy hinges on uniting law enforcement, retailers, and prosecutors to connect cases in real time and treat ORC as organized crime not isolate...

What’s happening: Leaders across retail, law enforcement, and policy shared what is actually working in the fight against organized retail crime. The takeaways: Slow down and verify: Fraud depends on urgency. Pausing disrupts the scam. Let experience drive policy: Laws work best when informed by real enforcement and retail realities. Align expectations: Public and private partners need clarity on...

Why it matters Organized retail crime has evolved into a coordinated, data-driven business, forcing retailers to elevate loss prevention from a back-office security function to a strategic, cross-functional priority tied directly to profit protection. What’s changing Retailers are moving from reactive responses to predictive ORC models. Disparate systems are being unified across POS, video, loyalt...

Why it matters: Gift card fraud is one of the easiest ways organized retail crime quietly drains money from shoppers and retailers—and it’s often connected to much larger criminal operations. The big picture: On Retail’s Most Wanted , Scott Glenn, VP of Asset Protection at The Home Depot, explains how ORC has evolved from visible theft into coordinated, cross-border crime that’s hard to detect and...

Organized retail crime continues to pressure retailers nationwide, and the role of private security is changing fast. In the latest episode of Retail’s Most Wanted, WGS Group CEO Marcus Skeen breaks down what’s shifting on the ground and why deterrence still matters. Why it matters Even with tougher penalties in some states, ORC remains a daily operational issue. Shrink, safety concerns, and store...

The big picture: Retailers and law enforcement are collaborating in ways they weren’t just a few years ago. On the latest episode of Retail’s Most Wanted , Marty Carpenter talks with Matt Kelley, SVP at LV, about how real-time data and smarter partnerships are reshaping the response to organized retail crime (ORC). Why it matters ORC continues to rise, but the industry’s ability to respond is stre...

West Jordan, Utah, is growing fast — and so is its exposure to organized retail crime (ORC). With new developments, big-box clusters, and major highways cutting through the area, law enforcement faces a challenge that extends far beyond city lines. Why it matters: ORC isn’t about one-off shoplifters. It’s organized networks targeting retailers across jurisdictions, and the costs ultimately reach c...

What’s happening: Taylorsville Police Chief Brady Cottam says organized retail crime (ORC) is keeping officers busy and driving up costs for consumers — even if it doesn’t always make headlines. Why it matters: ORC drains local police resources and impacts prices across communities. With major retailers like Target and Walmart in Taylorsville, Cottam says the issue is both local and regional — req...

Why it matters: Organized retail crime (ORC) isn’t petty theft — it’s a complex, fast-evolving threat that touches everything from consumer prices to workplace safety. Amber Bradley, founder of TalkLP News , says it’s time for the industry to start talking honestly about it. The big picture: Bradley launched TalkLP to cut through decades of “fluff” in loss prevention news. Her mission: give LP pro...

The Big Picture Organized retail crime (ORC) is evolving fast—blending in-store theft with digital fraud. Retailers making progress through tougher laws, AI, and collaboration, but big gaps remain. Key Challenges Retailers still silo store vs. e-comm investigations ORC definition is outdated, focused mainly on physical theft Too many platforms for intelligence sharing—no single standard AI fraud t...

The Big Picture Former Utah Commissioner of Public Safety Jess Anderson discusses the growing challenges in retail crime and law enforcement's technological gap. By the Numbers Shoplifting has surged 94% since 2019 14% increase from 2024 to 2025 alone Key Challenges Government agencies lag 3-5 steps behind criminal elements and private sector Legal restrictions on using advanced technology li...

Why it matters: Dr. Read Hayes, Director of the Loss Prevention Research Council, explains how modern surveillance technology impacts crime prevention, particularly in retail settings. Key findings: Surveillance platforms offer three core benefits: Deterrence (visible presence), detection (through audio and visual sensors), and documentation (evidence collection). Modern systems outperform legacy...

Why it matters: Utah's Organized Retail Crime Association has pioneered collaborative approaches to combat sophisticated retail theft since 2012, well ahead of the national spotlight on this issue. By the numbers: Established in 2012 when loss prevention officers noticed increasing sophistication in retail theft Focuses on repeat offenders and organized crime rather than typical shoplifting W...

Why It Matters Utah Attorney General Derek Brown is building on established foundations to combat organized retail crime through strategic collaborations and enhanced enforcement techniques. Key Insights The Attorney General's office has assigned specific agents to monitor retail crime despite limited resources Utah's CASE (Crimes Against State Economy) Task Force coordinates retailers,...

Why it matters: California, the world's fourth-largest economy, has implemented the most significant retail theft package in state history, with 11 bills designed to combat organized retail crime. Key achievements: Established California's first organized retail crime felony (2018) Created statewide ORC task forces through California Highway Patrol Expanded task forces from three to five...