Alabama men plead guilty to $1m retail theft scheme

Two brothers from Hoover, Alabama, have pleaded guilty to running an online fencing scheme that resulted in the sale of over $1m in stolen goods.

Abdurrahman Amar (32) and Yahya Amar (33) each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in the interstate transportation of stolen goods in front of US District Judge Madeline Haikala as part of a plea agreement.

They have admitted to organising a network of 'boosters' – professional shoplifters – who would steal items from various retailers, including Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, and Lowe’s. The boosters regularly offered the Amars various new and unopened goods for purchase, especially personal electronic devices and tools, according to the Department of Justice.

After purchasing the goods from the boosters at a steep discount from their retail value, the Amars listed the goods for re-sale on various online platforms – mainly eBay and Facebook – at prices that included a markup from the boosters’ prices but that were still well below the stolen goods' retail value.

Over the course of the conspiracy, the Amars completed approximately 7,300 separate sales of stolen goods on eBay, resulting in total revenue of around $1m. After selling the stolen goods online, the Amars shipped the stolen goods to customers located throughout the US and internationally.

The maximum penalty for conspiracy to engage in interstate transportation of stolen goods is five years in prison.

According to a report from the National Retail Federation last year, in fiscal 2022 the average inventory 'shrink rate' for retailers – which includes theft as well as other factors like breakages and spillages, misplacements, and perished goods – was 1.6%, equating to $112bn in losses.

Photo by Oxana Melis on Unsplash