A 42-year-old Chicago woman is accused of being part of a massive organized shoplifting crew that stole more than $100,000 worth of merchandise by recruiting homeless people to steal from Lululemon and other retailers in exchange for cash and drugs.
Rosie Spencer was arrested Monday after Lululemon loss prevention employees and Cook County Sheriff’s Police Organized Retail Crime investigators spotted what they believed was a fraudulent return at the retailer’s store at 930 North Rush Street, according to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators said the returned merchandise had been stolen, and Spencer returned it for store credit before leaving the store in a black Jeep. Sheriff’s police stopped the Jeep near the Mag Mile and took Spencer into custody on an outstanding warrant for a separate drug possession and theft case, according to the sheriff’s office.
But investigators continued digging and learned Spencer rents a storage unit in the 1000 block of West 111th Street that investigators had identified as part of a theft crew that operated throughout northeastern Illinois, recruiting homeless people to steal merchandise from stores, including Lululemon, the sheriff’s office said.
The crew allegedly provided the recruits with money, narcotics or clothing in exchange for stealing merchandise. The stolen goods were then returned to retailers, allowing members of the crew to obtain store credit. Spencer’s storage unit was among several searched by investigators in April, leading to the recovery of tens of thousands of dollars worth of allegedly stolen merchandise from the units, the sheriff’s office said.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Spencer with theft of more than $10,000. She is currently detained on the outstanding warrant.
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