HSI Organized Retail Crime Search

October 31, 2022

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October 5, 2022 - Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) per an issued warrant ... conduct an Organized Retail Crime (ORC) search at an undisclosed retail location in Chicago, Illinois.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) defines ORC as “the association of two or more persons engaged in illegally obtaining items of value from retail establishments, through theft and/or fraud, as part of a criminal enterprise.”

According to the 2021 joint report released by the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and the Buy Safe America Coalition, in 2019, nearly $70 billion in goods were stolen from retailers. As staggering as this number is, it doesn’t account for loss related to cargo theft nor the uptick in ORC during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ORC is not shoplifting, and these crimes are not victimless. In addition to the growing number of thefts that turn violent, consumers, local communities and businesses bear the costs of rising prices. These thefts are detrimental to both businesses, small and large alike, and the overall economy as they pose both societal and health risks to the community.

Estimates reveal ORC costs federal and state governments nearly $15 billion in lost tax revenue, not including lost sales taxes. It is estimated that the average American family will pay more than $500 annually in additional costs due to the impact of ORC. ORC is a low-risk, high-reward income stream for domestic and transnational criminal organizations that greatly impacts inter-state and international commerce and the overall economic security of the United States.

Image created by USA Patriotism! from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement photos by Erica Knight.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement | U.S. Department of Homeland Security

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