For several months, Lakeland Police Detectives have been working to thwart an organized retail theft ring operating in Lakeland and targeting customer accounts at Bath & Body Works. The investigation revealed that suspects Peterson Louine, Chauncy Smart, Marcus Baker, and Cleotis Anglin Jr. acted in concert to access customer loyalty accounts, personal identifying information, rewards accounts, and payment information belonging to numerous victims to obtain merchandise from Bath & Body Works stores through fraudulent Buy Online Pick Up In Store (BOPIS) transactions and unauthorized loyalty rewards purchases.
The transactions involved 32 related incidents involving at least sixteen separate victim accounts and a total loss of over $7,500. The suspects repeatedly used compromised customer information to place online orders and then appeared in person to retrieve the merchandise before victims became aware of the activity. Suspects then took the merchandise to a storefront location in Winter Haven. One suspect, Marcus Baker, utilized Facebook Marketplace to advertise Bath & Body Works merchandise for sale 50% off.
Arrest warrants were obtained for each of the suspects, charging them with Dealing In Stolen Property, Conspiracy to Commit Retail Theft With The Intent To Sell, Individually or In Concert With Others Commits 3 or More Retail Thefts within 120 day period 20 Or More Items, Use of Another Person’s Identification Without Consent $5,000 or More, Criminal Use of Personal Identification, Scheming to Obtain Property by Fraud, Unlawful Use of a 2-Way Communication Device, and Criminal Use of Personal Identification on a Person Younger than 18 or Older than 60.
Peterson Louine, Chauncy Smart, and Cleotis Anglin Jr. have been arrested on their charges; however, Marcus Baker remains at large. He is from the Orlando Area and has an active arrest warrant for these charges.
If anyone has information on Marcus Baker’s whereabouts, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Det. David Brown at 863-255-4352 or [email protected].