Gov. Snyder signs law cracking down on organized retail crime

Two bills Gov. Rick Snyder recently signed into law should perk up the ears of retail owners.

The Organized Retail Crime Act — sponsored by Rep. Joe Graves, R-Argentine Township — will crack down on retail fraud, Snyder said. The bills, HB 5843 and 590, “would make it a felony punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment if a person is found guilty of knowingly committing organized retail crime,” according to the governor's office.

The act would include stealing retail merchandise in order to re-sell, distribute or transfer the merchandise to any other persons or retail merchants through all available mediums in exchange for value.

“Organized retail crime is a sophisticated operation conducted by professional criminals and can act as a gateway to finance even more serious crimes,” Snyder said. “These crimes are costing our businesses and our communities too much, and law enforcement will now be better able to combat this growing threat.”