Lansing, MI: A man from Lansing has been charged with operating a criminal organization that targeted home improvement companies like Lowe’s and Home Depot by “employing drug-dependent acquaintances to steal” for him.
According to the announcement made by Attorney General Dana Nessel, Eric Tanner, who is 38 years old, was arraigned on Wednesday on eight charges of organized retail crime and one count of managing a criminal organization.
Tanner allegedly targeted stores in the Lansing area during the months of May 2023 and January 2024, according to the AG’s office. According to the allegations, the criminal organization targeted Home Depot stores in the cities of Lansing, Jackson, and Okemos, in addition to a Kroger and a Lowe’s store in Lansing.
According to the allegations, he used drug addicts to steal stuff, most notably vacuums and power equipment, which would then be sold on Facebook Marketplace using the stolen goods.
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“We often see the characteristics evident in this case,” Nessel said, according to a press release. “These characteristics include multiple thieves, brazen daytime thefts, and turning merchandise over to a single operator who then sells the loot for profit.”
The next court date for Tanner is slated to take place on April 8th.
Both the FORCE Team and the Organized Retail Crime Unit of the AG, which were both established in the previous year with the purpose of combating thefts and financial crimes at a variety of corporate stores, investigated the case.
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