Police Recover $132K In Stolen Property In Springfield Over Holidays

SPRINGFIELD, VA — Officers from the Franconia and West Springfield police stations recovered more than $130,000 in merchandise that was stolen from the Springfield area over the holiday season, the Fairfax County Police Department said Wednesday.

Every holiday season, undercover and uniformed officers from the FCPD’s Christmas Anti-Theft Team are at area shopping malls looking for criminal activity.

In 2023, the Springfield Christmas Anti-Theft Team recovered $131,902 in stolen property, police said.

Additionally, sergeants and officers from the Franconia and West Springfield district stations uncovered a nationwide gift card fraud scheme, according to the FCPD.

In the gift card case, officers assigned to the Springfield Town Center were alerted by Target on Dec. 20 about two men who were altering gift cards in their store and doing the same thing on the same day at a Target store in Manassas. Two California men were arrested by Fairfax County police in connection with the gift card scheme.

During the 2023 holiday season, the Springfield Christmas Anti-Theft Team handled a total of 316 larceny cases, compared to 160 larceny cases handled by the team in 2022, according to FCPD data.

RELATED: Target Fraud Ring Suspects Caught In Fairfax Co. With 1,000 Gift Cards