The Delaware County Sheriff's Office is part of a new multi-agency task force that has already recovered more than $145,000 in stolen merchandise and secured indictments against nine people since launching in March.

Officials announced the Fraud & Organized Retail Crime Engagement (FORCE) task force on Aug. 6, at a press conference in Columbus, NBC4 reported. The effort targets organized theft rings that steal large quantities of goods from retailers across multiple counties, then resell them for profit.

"We have an obligation to go after these criminals, put these criminals in prison so that you can shop in a way that law-abiding citizens are supposed to shop," Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said at the announcement.

The task force is led by the Franklin County Sheriff's Office and includes the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, Clinton Township Police Department, Grandview Heights Division of Police, Westerville Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations and the Columbus Division of Police. The Delaware County Prosecutor's Office and Franklin County Prosecutor's Office handle the cases.

For Delaware County residents, the partnership means crimes committed at local retailers can now be combined with offenses in other counties for higher charges. Previously, thieves who hit stores in multiple counties could avoid serious prosecution because each jurisdiction could only charge crimes committed within its own borders.

The FORCE Act, signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on April 23, 2025, changed that. Under the law, retail property thefts by the same person can be aggregated over a 12-month period. Stealing $7,500 or more in merchandise is now a third-degree felony, and prosecutors can combine offenses committed across county lines into a single, higher charge.

Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor said the goal is to ensure jurisdictional boundaries no longer let offenders escape accountability.

The Ohio Council of Retail Merchants estimates organized retail theft costs Ohio businesses $2 billion to $3 billion annually, according to Spectrum News. Those losses translate to higher prices on store shelves.

FORCE has already coordinated with law enforcement in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Indiana, reflecting how far these theft networks reach. The task force operates under the attorney general's Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission.

Sheriff Jeff Balzer leads the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, though no statement from Balzer about the task force was available as of Aug. 7. The office did not release details about specific Delaware County retail locations targeted by organized theft rings.

Residents who witness organized retail theft can contact the Delaware County Sheriff's Office at 740-833-2800.