A California man was sentenced to 2.25 years in prison and four years of probation for his role in a organized retail theft ring in Arizona.
Bay Horn pleaded guilt to two felonies on July 29 and was sentenced on Aug. 27. He also was ordered to pay restitution of $11,016 to national retail chain TJ Maxx for his role in the effort, according to a release from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
Horn organized the theft ring that hit TJ Maxx and Home Goods for $26,000 in one month in 2023. The scheme worked where he and others would conceal items in bags, then return the items to a cashier asking for a refund as if they had been bought.
Horn was indicted on one count with fraudulent schemes and artifices, a class 2 felony, and 10 counts organized retail theft, a class 4 felony, according to the indictment.
The stores identified in the indictment were in the Tucson area.
“This case sends a strong message: organized retail theft will not be tolerated in Arizona,” said Attorney General Kris Mayes in a press release. “Those who defraud businesses and drive up costs for consumers will face serious consequences in our state.”