Twenty-two people face theft and trespassing charges after a coordinated retail crime crackdown that included the Delaware County Prosecutor's Office and Sheriff's Office, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson announced Aug. 11.

The operation recovered $7,055 in stolen merchandise in central Ohio alone, the highest dollar amount among three regional task forces that participated in the statewide sting. Organized retail theft costs Ohio businesses an estimated $2 billion to $3 billion annually, according to the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, and those losses contribute to higher prices for consumers.

The blitz was part of a nationwide Organized Retail Crime Blitz Week. Three task forces operating under the attorney general's Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission carried out the operation the week of Aug. 4-8, targeting theft rings that steal merchandise from stores and resell it through illicit networks and online marketplaces.

"A team approach gives law enforcement the upper hand to dismantle theft groups that harm Ohio's businesses and consumers," Wilson said in a press release. "Credit to our task forces for leading the charge on these investigations and holding thieves accountable."

Local agencies in the mix

The central Ohio task force, known as the Fraud and Organized Retail Crime Engagement (FORCE) Task Force, is led by the Franklin County Sheriff's Office. Delaware County Prosecutor Melissa Schifel's office and Sheriff Jeff Balzer's office are among nine agencies on the team, alongside Columbus Division of Police, Homeland Security Investigations and Westerville Police Department.

As we reported Aug. 7, the Delaware County Sheriff's Office joined the FORCE task force in March 2026. Before the blitz week, the task force had already recovered more than $145,000 in stolen retail merchandise and secured indictments against nine defendants across Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana and Pennsylvania, according to 10TV.

How the FORCE Act works

The task force exists because of the FORCE Act (House Bill 366), enacted in 2025 and co-written by the attorney general's office. The law created tougher criminal penalties and authorized multi-jurisdictional task forces to investigate organized retail theft statewide.

One key provision: retail thefts committed by the same suspect within a 12-month period can be combined into a single case. Stolen property valued at $7,500 or more can be charged as a third-degree felony, raising the stakes for repeat offenders who previously faced only misdemeanor counts in separate jurisdictions.

Statewide results

Across Ohio, the three task forces charged 46 people total. The northwest Ohio task force charged 12 people and recovered $976; the southwest Ohio task force charged 12 and recovered $2,150. Beyond the criminal charges, task forces gathered evidence and intelligence that will advance ongoing investigations of theft rings and fencing operations.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

What's next

The attorney general's office said evidence collected during the blitz will feed continuing investigations into organized theft networks across Ohio.