KETTERING — Five people are facing charges in connection with organized retail theft, marking the first success of a new task force aimed at combating this growing issue in the Dayton area.
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The Tactical Crime Suppression Unit (TCSU) Organized Retail Crime Task Force was established to address the impact of organized retail theft, which costs Ohio businesses approximately $3 billion annually, according to Attorney General Dave Yost.
This task force was established under the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission and is led by the Kettering Police Department.
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“The problem is much worse than petty theft – organized fraudsters are ripping off businesses for billions of dollars every year,” Yost said.
Seth Davison, 39, of Columbus, faces serious charges with one count of organized retail theft and two counts of theft, revealing his alleged theft of over $7,500 worth of goods. Police arrested him on Sept. 29 while he was concealing stolen merchandise.
Davison’s accomplice, Jacqueline Tackett, 39, of Reynoldsburg, has also been indicted on charges of complicity to commit organized retail theft, reflecting the collaborative effort of the task force in combating these crimes.
Three other suspects—Christopher Lee, 43, Dathan McCurdy, 44, and DeMarco Turbolt, 42, all from Cincinnati—were indicted for theft after being caught bagging unpaid merchandise, with authorities recovering over $1,100 in stolen goods from them.
The TCSU task force collaborates with multiple agencies, including the Miamisburg, Moraine, Oakwood, Germantown, West Carrollton, Springboro, Centerville, Miami Township police departments, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.
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