ILLINOIS — A two-day retail theft operation in Springfield led to the arrest of seven individuals and the recovery of an illegal firearm, according to the Springfield Police Department.
The operation, conducted on July 24 and 25, was led by the department’s Criminal Investigations Division in partnership with TJX Companies, which includes stores such as HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, Sierra, and Marshall’s.
Both uniformed and plainclothes officers, along with store security personnel, were involved in the effort.
During the operation, police made seven arrests. Charges included five felony retail theft counts, three misdemeanor retail theft charges, one felony warrant arrest, and one felony charge for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
The latter also included charges for defacing identification marks on a firearm and possessing a weapon without a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card.
“This operation was a success in combating those involved in retail theft crimes,” the department said in a press release. “The assigned officers and security personnel were able to prevent substantial monetary loss at several local retail establishments.”
Police emphasized their continued commitment to addressing retail theft and said similar operations will be carried out in the future to identify and arrest those responsible.
