4 Indicted In $800K Worth Of Luxury Store Flash-Mob Thefts Across MD

BALTIMORE, MD — Four men from the DC region were indicted on multiple theft charge as part of a criminal organization that carried out about $800,000 in flash-mob style retail burglaries and thefts across at least six jurisdictions in Maryland, Attorney General Anthony G. Brown said Monday.

The thieves grabbed luxury retail items, including designer sunglasses, prescription glasses frames, perfumes, and name-brand clothing, and then sold the stolen items in person or by posting to online marketplaces.

The investigation was led by the Gaithersburg and Montgomery County Police Departments.

“Organized retail crimes are not victimless. Stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from businesses can lead to higher prices for products that Marylanders need, and cost hardworking employees their jobs,” Brown said in a news release.

These men engaged in a pattern of organized retail crimes:

• Donte Bernard Shaw, 34, of Washington, D.C.
• Taquan Anthony Neal, 25, of District Heights, Maryland
• Antonio William Polite, 35, of Hyattsville, Maryland
• Samuel Cordell Whitmire Jr., 29, of Alexandria, Virginia

All four defendants are charged with participation in a criminal organization, theft scheme totaling over $100,000, conspiracy to commit theft and second-degree burglary, and multiple individual instances of theft and burglary.

Shaw is also charged with illegal possession of a regulated firearm.

According to the attorney general's office, the suspects targeted stores across Maryland, including retail locations in Howard County, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, Montgomery County, Queen Anne’s County, and Prince George’s County.

Retailers that were targeted by the criminal organization include:

• Sunglass Hut
• Ulta Beauty
• LensCrafters
• Perfumania
• GameStop
• Dick’s Sporting Goods

The organization typically committed thefts during business hours by overwhelming store employees with a rapid, “flash mob” style tactic. During a theft, multiple people would enter a store, fill their bags or arms with as much retail product as they could, and flee. On most occasions, the store was open.

The organization repeatedly targeted the same retail stores, sometimes stealing from a business multiple times within a span of days.

The cases will be prosecuted in the Circuit Court for Howard County by Assistant Attorneys General Surur Fatema Yonce and Salman Ameri.