MIAMI TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- Police in Miami Township said a shoplifting ring they broke up overnight involved an inside connection.
Investigators said the shoplifting was taking place at the Macy’s store inside the Dayton Mall.
Officers took five people into custody late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. Working with Macy's loss prevention officers, police also recovered more than $4,000 worth of merchandise that they believe was stolen from the store.
Police said the ring racked a huge amount of stolen goods pretty easily because they had inside help.
Miami Township Police Sgt. Scott Fitzgerald said, "It looks like one of the employees was turning their head, allowing their friends, maybe even family members to come in, then bagging up merchandise and walking out of the store."
Officers said that employee was working at Macy's as a loss prevention officer.
Other employees apparently became suspicious and used the store's surveillance cameras to track some of the shoplifting.
Police said they recovered the stolen merchandise from several cars parked in the mall's parking lot.
Investigators said because of the high dollar amount of the stolen goods, the three men and two women who were arrested could face felony theft charges rather than misdemeanor charges.
Investigators said they don't believe that this is the first time these people took items from the store. Sgt. Fitzgerald said, "The $4,000 is probably just scratching the surface."
Fitzgerald also said it's possible there were more people involved and more arrests could be made.
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