Father-Daughter Duo Sentenced For Selling Stolen Goods Online

ATLANTA — An Atlanta father and daughter were sentenced to federal prison terms for selling more than $6.1 million in stolen merchandise online.

The pair ran two separate online retail operations for nearly eight years that relied on shoplifters, or “boosters,” to steal over-the-counter drugs and other healthcare and personal care items from big-box stores, federal prosecutors said.

Robert Whitley, 70, was sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, authorities said. He pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen goods.

Noni Whitley, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen goods and will spend five years in federal prison, with three years of supervised release, federal officials said.

They also have been ordered to repay $4.3 million to the retail businesses, including Publix, Target, CVS, Walgreens, and Kroger, that were their victims.

“These crimes impact not only the retailers but every consumer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “Organized retail crime and other massive frauds have become more common through online platforms. We and our law enforcement partners will continue to seek out and prosecute these criminal enterprises.”

The Whitleys ran two companies — Closeout Express and Express Daily Essentials. The federal investigation focused on Closeout Express, which operated its own website and sold items at discounted or wholesale prices on Amazon Marketplace, Walmart Marketplace, and Sears Marketplace, moving more than 170,000 items, federal prosecutors said. They also sold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of items through the Express Daily Essentials website, authorities said.

Over the years, the Whitleys used dozens of boosters (professional shoplifters) whom they paid in cash to deliver garbage bags full of stolen items, including shaving razors, allergy medicine like Claritin, Rogaine hair restoration materials, oral care materials, and healthcare items to their southwest Atlanta warehouse, according to prosecutors.

Multiple search warrants at the warehouse and several properties connected to the Whitleys in November 2019 led federal investigators to shut down the operation. Federal agents found the operation used the properties to sort, store, and “clean” the items of identification and anti-theft devices, prosecutors said.

“The Whitleys are now paying the price for inflicting financial harm to legitimate small businesses and consumers affected by those businesses losses,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to working together to protect consumers and businesses from these types of crimes.”