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OVERCAST Temp: 51 °F Wind: WNW at 7 mph Wednesday, February 19, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 11, 2003 Lt. Mike Moran says this evidence seized Friday by Medford police represents a small break in a nationwide ring of stolen products that are typically sold at flea markets. These cans of baby formula typically retail for $9 to $15 each. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Cops target black market ring Medford police arrested four illegal aliens, allegedly members of a shoplifting group that steals baby formula, razors and ink cartridges By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Medford police have arrested an alleged band of professional shoplifters who steal infant formula and sell it at flea markets in large U.S. cities and in developing countries. Police recovered 577 cans of formula, valued at $6,400. Security employees at the Talent Wal-Mart store spotted the formula thieves Thursday and contacted police and security at other area stores. Police and store security officials tracked the suspected thieves from store to store around the Rogue Valley. Police eventually stopped the suspects’ white minivan for a traffic infraction and discovered the vehicle was loaded with 285 cans of powdered formula. "We opened the back end and cans just came spilling out," Medford police Detective Sue Campbell said. Four people in the van were arrested on charges of first-degree theft and of being illegal aliens. Because the four, who are from Honduras, lacked proper identification, police called the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, which helped translate and filed the immigration charges. Those arrested are Merlin Rodiver Sabillon, 37; Prospero Milton Lopez-Rios, 30; Elim Castellanos-Pineda, 26; and Ana Patricia Rodriguez, 19. All remain lodged in the Jackson County Jail without bail. Police also charged Sabillon with first-degree theft by receiving because he rented a storage unit where police believe the group planned to box up the formula and send it to people who would arrange its sale. Darrin DeRoule, Wal-Mart’s district loss-prevention manager who oversees security at Southern Oregon and Northern California stores, said retailers know professional shoplifters often target infant formula. They also were aware of a well-organized group of shoplifters traveling up and down Interstate 5. "This group, their job is to steal as much as they can get of whatever organizers want, then ship it to those supporters," DeRoule said. "They are very successful, and they don’t get caught very often." Other items the group targets include inkjet printer cartridges and Gillette Mach 3 razors. An alert loss-prevention employee, who didn’t want to be identified, at Wal-Mart in Talent spotted the group she thought looked like professional shoplifters Thursday at about 11:30 a.m. When she followed them, they abandoned the things they had collected and left the store, but she got their license plate number and a description of their vehicle. She called police and notified other area stores. Officials trailed the group as they hit grocery and discount stores throughout the valley, visiting some stores more than once. Security employees and police relayed the group’s location via cell phone and police radio until officers stopped the van for a traffic violation at about 4:30 p.m. at Bear Creek Plaza. Campbell then swooped in and made the arrests. Using information found in the van, police got a warrant to search a storage unit at U-haul at 2410 North Pacific Highway. They found 292 cans of powdered formula there and collected evidence that might help officials track down others in the theft ring. "This is linked with a nationwide criminal conspiracy," said Medford police Lt. Mike Moran. He said police in Florida recently raided a warehouse filled with stolen formula headed to Latin America. He praised the cooperation of police and private security employees, noting that without Wal-Mart’s awareness of organized formula thefts, police couldn’t have reacted quickly enough to nab the elusive suspects. "The ring works up and down I-5," he said. "There was a group through here in August and we got several reports of formula thefts, but we didn’t know what to make of it. We thought it might be drug-related." Investigators also are analyzing security video from several stores and polling area retailers to double check how much formula is missing. A warning to parents of formula-fed babies: Supplies throughout the Rogue Valley are depleted, with almost all stores reporting some formula missing and a few stores Friday reporting their entire formula inventory wiped out, police said. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S