Five people have been indicted in connection with two retail theft investigations, the first major action taken by a new Dayton-area task team formed to combat organized retail crime.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Kettering Police Chief Chip Protsman announced the indictments on Monday, calling them the first step in a bigger campaign to combat organized retail fraud across the state.
The Tactical Crime Suppression Unit (TCSU) Organized Retail Crime Task Force is part of Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, which is chaired by Yost himself. The Kettering Police Department leads it, with cooperation from numerous other local law enforcement agencies.
The task force was formed after Ohio approved the Fight Organized Retail Crime and Empower Law Enforcement Act earlier this year. The statute allows for the development of multi-agency squads dedicated to probing organized stealing rings. Annual losses from these crimes are projected to be more than $3 billion in Ohio.
The task force’s recent activities resulted in the following indictments:
- Seth Davison, 39, of Columbus, was indicted on one count of organized retail theft (third-degree felony) and two counts of theft (fifth-degree felonies). He is accused of stealing over $7,500 in merchandise. Davison was arrested on Sept. 29 outside a store while carrying a tote filled with stolen goods. Authorities believe he may be connected to other thefts in Dayton, Columbus, Mansfield, and Wooster.
- Jacqueline Tackett, 39, of Reynoldsburg, believed to be Davison’s driver and accomplice, was indicted on one count of complicity to commit organized retail theft and two counts of complicity to commit theft.
- Christopher Lee, 43, of Hamilton; Dathan McCurdy, 44, of Cincinnati; and DeMarco Turbolt, 42, of Cincinnati, were each indicted on one count of theft (fifth-degree felony). Store security alerted police after the three were seen bagging unpaid items. More than $1,100 in merchandise was recovered, along with goods believed to be from other stores.
In addition to Kettering, the task force consists of police departments from Miamisburg, Moraine, Oakwood, Germantown, West Carrollton, Springboro, Centerville, and Miami Township, as well as Homeland Security Investigations and the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.
This is Ohio’s second Retail Crime Task Force. The first, situated in northwest Ohio, made its initial arrests in June.
All charges are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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