MultCo. shoplifting mission leads to indictment of 4 high-profile suspects

Jami Seymore
·2 min read
9

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Organized retail theft continues to target businesses across Oregon, prompting retail task force missions like the Portland area saw earlier this month to catch crooks in the act.

Organized retail crime continues to hit the state hard as Oregon Business & Industry estimates it has cost Oregon around $1.4 billion in economic activity. In the past year, we’ve seen major retailers like Walmart and Target shutter stores in Portland.

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“It’s causing significant financial harm for Oregon businesses, it’s driving costs higher for customers,” Sean Miller of the NW Grocery Association said in a meeting with state lawmakers earlier this year.

This past session, lawmakers passed a bill going into effect in the new year with harsher penalties for organized retail crime, while also making clear – these aren’t petty shoplifters.

“Organized retail theft is designed to get people that are doing this over and over and over again. It is a business for them,” Aaron Knott with the Multnomah Co. District Attorney’s Office said during a hearing with lawmakers. “It’s higher value items, they’re doing it across multiple transactions.”

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On Thursday, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that the newly-established Organized Retail Theft Task Force resulted in indictments of four high-profile suspects.

  • Jerry Spencer is accused of at least 16 incidents recently with more than $12,000 in stolen goods from Nike, Target and Old Navy.

  • Nolan Harris was indicted last month for more than $7,500 in goods stolen from REI.

  • Tanner Machon is accused of stealing more than $18,000 of items from Patagonia.

  • Michael Morgan was indicted for at least seven cases of theft with more than $10,000 in items from Dick’s Sporting Goods.

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In a recent shoplifting mission between the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and Portland Police, officers said a major goal of this is to prevent stores from leaving.

“Community members need to have these stores available to them to shop, do their shopping,” PPB Sgt. Craig Andersen said to KOIN.

One of the suspects, Jerry Spencer, is set to appear Friday morning for one of the cases. Future court dates have not yet been set for some of the other recently-indicted suspects.

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