BEND, OR -- Bend Police say they've arrested nearly two-dozen people connected to an organized retail theft ring. The agency's Sheila Miller says the investigation started almost nine months ago, "Police investigated a shoplifting case at WinCo back in January. There were a bunch of suspects and during a review, trying to figure out who all of those suspects were, they ultimately connected multiple shoplifting and theft calls to a couple of the people." That led to a broader look at more cases, "They conducted a months-long investigation and identified at least 25 thefts from businesses throughout Bend, and 31 suspects," says Miller, "Those ranged in age from 15 to 46. And they were able to identify some patterns and behaviors and tactics of how these thefts were carried out."

Detectives believe more incidents went unreported, "Some retailers have policies that prevent them from reporting shoplifting. And we think that those may have taken place in other parts of Central Oregon, as well."

Miller tells KBND News, "We figure, in those 25 documented thefts that were late 2023, early 2024, more than $22,000 in merchandise was stolen. And it was from big-box retailers, mostly, like Fred Meyer, Walmart, WinCo, Dicks, that sort of stuff." Over the next several months, officers executed search warrants at homes and hotel rooms throughout Bend, "We actually, in some of those search warrants, were able to recover some of the merchandise and return it to some stores, which is always kind of a fun thing for police officers to do. They don't often get to be the people people are happy to see when they show up."

Investigators believe the ringleader was 29-year-old Roger Rodriguez Molina, of Bend. "That person was actually charged with Organized Retail Theft, which is a Class B felony," says Miller, "And he's scheduled to be back in court in late September."

The crime of Organized Retail Theft comes with harsher penalties in Oregon, under 2023 legislation that took effect in January.