Last week, Bellevue police arrested suspects believed to be a part of three organized retail theft rings responsible for stealing over $100,000 in merchandise. In one of the cases, four suspects were charged, three of which had stolen over $93,000 in handbags from Louis Vuitton in Bellevue. The fourth was charged with selling the stolen bags.
According to investigators, the crew stole from the same Louis Vuitton twice in June 2022. After detectives found the stolen bags for sale online, they set up a buy and arrested one of the suspects. The three thieves were charged with Organized Retail Theft in the 1st Degree, and the fence listing bags for sale online was charged with Trafficking in Stolen Property in the 1st Degree.
On Monday, the four suspects accused appeared in court. According to charging documents, all four have extensive criminal histories. One, as a teenager, plead guilty to manslaughter for his role in the 2009 death of a local street musician known as Tuba Man. Court records show a second defendant had been convicted of second-degree murder in 1997. A judge decided Kendall could be released under the promise of returning to court.
“These suspects were aggressive and coordinated in their efforts and often physically confronted employees or security who stood in their way,” said Bellevue Police Captain Shelby Shearer. “These crew also caused significant damage to the stores during the thefts, causing some businesses to close for the day to clean up the mess.”
“We joined the state’s Organized Retail Task Force committed to cracking down on this crime,” said Shearer. “These cases involved regional collaboration and partnerships with other law enforcement agencies and the affected businesses. Arresting these suspects reduces crime not only in Bellevue but regionally.”
