Charles Cantrell was convicted of two counts of receiving stolen property. Randall Cantrell was convicted of six counts of the same charge, a fifth-degree felony.
The duo were vendors at Traders World in Monroe, and were selling items they thought were stolen from local Kroger stores, according to the prosecutor’s office.
In early 2015, Kroger contacted the Warren County Sheriff’s Office to report a significant rise in thefts.
The sheriff ’s office sent undercover officers to Traders World to act as though they had health and beauty products and household products, specifically Tide Pods, for sale at a very low price, according to the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office.
The undercover officers made it clear to the vendors that the items were stolen by using terminology such as “been taken off the truck before they reached the store” and “truck load of hot (expletive).”
Charles and Randall Cantrell agreed to purchase merchandise on four occasions from the undercover officers, according to evidence presented at trial.
After being found guilty, Warren County Common Pleas Judge Donald Oda revoked both of the Cantrells’ bonds. They are scheduled to be sentenced March 15.
The charge carries a possible sentence of six months to one year in jail.
Organized retail theft is estimated to cost retailers across the country $30 billion a year, according to the National Retail Federation. And a good portion of those losses are passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices.
Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell urged those who frequent flea markets to give thought to the types of items they are purchasing.
“If you can get healthcare, cleaning, or beauty products at a flea market at less than half the cost of what large retailers like Kroger are able to get through their buying power and volume discounts, that should tell you something about the source of those products,” Fornshell said.
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