(The Center Square) – A Farmington Hills man was sentenced to 128 days in jail and two years probation for organized retail fraud by Judge Cheryl Matthews in the 6th Circuit Court in Oakland.
In September, Brian Roussey, 31, pled guilty to three counts for operating a theft and resale scheme of KitchenAid brand stand mixers from metro Detroit Target stores. He was ordered to pay $20,108 in restitution to Target.
Roussey allegedly began stealing KitchenAid mixers in late 2020 and continued through 2022, entering various Target locations throughout the metro Detroit area, walking out with the product without making a purchase and selling the stolen appliances on public online forums such as Facebook Marketplace. The stand mixers retail for as much as $500 per unit and total Target theft amounted to more than $20,000.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s newly established Organized Retail Crime Unit operated with Michigan State Police as the FORCE Team and the Farmington Hills Police Department.
“Our FORCE Team works in concert with retailers, in this instance Target, to stop these theft-and-resale schemes that cost Michigan businesses and consumers millions of dollars every year,” Nessel said in a statement. “That partnership is critical to our work against organized retail fraud, and here it put an end to a two-year crime spree.”
The ‘FORCE’ Team and the organized retail crime unit were established in January to target criminal organizations that steal products from retailers to repackage and sell for a profit, which raises consumer prices.
Last month, the team’s work resulted in the arraignment of a Detroit man for allegedly stealing $80,000 of liquor, electronics and seafood from Metro Detroit Sam’s Clubs with plans to resell the items.
The FORCE Team works with retailers and local law enforcement agencies to combat organized retail crime.
Recent corporate partners on investigations have included Sam’s Club/Walmart, Meijer, Target, Home Depot, TJ Maxx, Rite-Aid, Lululemon, Ulta, and Lowe’s.
Local law enforcement agencies or retailers with evidence of organized retail fraud are encouraged to email the ‘FORCE’ Team.
