A multi-agency task force led by the Franklin County Sheriff's Office has recovered more than $145,000 in stolen retail merchandise and secured nine indictments since launching in March, officials announced Aug. 6.
The Fraud & Organized Retail Crime Engagement task force, known as F.O.R.C.E., targets organized theft rings that hit stores across multiple jurisdictions in a single sweep. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office has jurisdiction over Dublin, meaning the task force covers retail centers in the Dublin area.
"We don't want the jurisdictional boundaries to be the reason why someone is not being held accountable," Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Shayla Favor said at the announcement, according to NBC4.
The task force exists because of House Bill 366, the FORCE Act, which Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law on April 23, 2025. The law allows prosecutors to aggregate retail thefts by the same suspect over a 12-month period and combine offenses across county lines into a single case. Retail property theft of $7,500 or more now qualifies as a third-degree felony.
Before the law, Favor's office could only charge crimes committed within Franklin County. Now, if a theft ring hits stores in Dublin, Delaware County and Columbus in the same week, prosecutors can bundle those offenses into one higher-level charge.
Partner agencies
Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin leads the task force, which is established under the Ohio Attorney General's Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission. Partner agencies include the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, Clinton Township Police Department, Grandview Heights Division of Police, Westerville Police Department, Homeland Security and the Columbus Division of Police. The Franklin County and Delaware County prosecutors' offices also participate.
Nine defendants have been indicted.
Baldwin said no single agency can tackle organized retail crime alone, but pooling resources across jurisdictions creates the effect of "one large force" pursuing offenders, NBC4 reported. The task force has also coordinated with law enforcement in Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana and Pennsylvania.
Why it matters locally
Officials distinguish organized retail crime from isolated shoplifting. These operations involve groups stealing large quantities of merchandise from multiple stores statewide, then reselling items for profit. The Ohio Council of Retail Merchants estimates organized retail theft and fraud costs Ohio businesses $2–3 billion annually, driving up prices for consumers.
Det. Sgt. Caleb Loposser of the Franklin County Sheriff's Office said at the announcement that retail crimes have been "underinvestigated" for too long because agencies were "sidelined by jurisdictional boundaries," 10TV reported.
Law enforcement leaders said they hope publicizing the task force will deter organized theft while improving coordination among agencies investigating criminal networks. No next court dates for the nine indicted defendants or a tip line for reporting organized retail theft have been announced.
