On November 22, Investigators with the JPD Street Crimes Unit and Officers with the Brookland Police Department executed a search warrant on a home in Brookland as a result of an investigation that began at Gearhead Outfitters in Jonesboro.
Store merchandise inventory clerk Christian Torres was found to be creating fraudulent orders and layaway documents under customers’ names and smuggling the items out the back door of the shop.
Included in the theft were numerous specialized bicycles, Oakley sunglasses, tires, and pricey packaging materials. Officers found multiple bikes in Torres’ garage packaged as if they were ready to be shipped. Torres also fabricated layaway documents and made multiple merchandise orders under clients names that they knew nothing about.
Stolen items recovered totaled almost $60,000. Over $40,000 of which was merchandise stolen from Gearhead and almost $20,000 of which was from property owned by Gearhead customers that was in the store for various reasons. All seized property was processed and returned to its owners.
Torres was taken to the Craighead County Detention Center and charged with Shoplifting, Theft of $25,000 or more, and Possession of Sch VI and drug paraphernalia. Judge Fowler set a $25,000 cash only bond.
