Suspect arrested in organized retail theft ‘booster’ operation across Tampa Bay: court records

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Court records show a Tampa Bay man is under arrest in connection with what investigators describe as an organized retail theft operation spanning multiple cities across the region.

According to court documents, Joseph Lee-Brown is accused of taking part in a coordinated scheme targeting major retailers, including multiple CVS locations in Sun City Center, Plant City, Tampa, and St. Petersburg. Investigators also link the operation to thefts at a Walgreens in Tampa and a JCPenney at Westshore Plaza.

The operation is described as “boosting,” a method of organized retail theft in which groups move from store to store stealing high-value merchandise to resell for profit…

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