The U.S. Attorney's Office in Rhode Island has announced that two men have been arrested and charged in connection with an organized retail theft ring. Federal officials say 52-year-old Norman Cipriano of Warwick, and 59-year-old Patrick Vigneau of Cranston resold stolen goods to other retailers throughout New England.
For members of the public who may be asking what impact this has on them, let me say this:
first and foremost, the clearest, most obvious, and most devastating impact of these kinds of criminal organizations is that they put our friends, neighbors, and family members who work in retail at risk from the violence that can occur if a thief is confronted; they degrade quality of life in our communities, as goods in stores are locked away for safety; and most significantly, they impose a heavy economic price, as the costs of theft driven losses gets passed along to all of us at the cash register."
The arrests came after the feds seized around 60-thousand stolen items worth around one-point-six-million dollars.
The stolen items included cosmetics, over-the-counter drugs and high-end merchandise. Overall, the retail theft ring was allegedly responsible for 12-million-dollars in losses.
(Photos: US Attorney, Rhode Island)