West York Borough is located in York County, Pennsylvania, about 30 minutes south of Harrisburg. West York is approximately ½ square mile and made up mostly of urban residential area. The West York Police Department has 9 full time and 2 part time police officers and averages over 4,000 calls a year.
In October 2012, the West York Borough Police Department (WYPD) began investigating an organized retail crime ring (ORC), in which we have arrested 111 people, and will be charging an additional 20 people. WYPD are still looking to speak to an additional 30 people.
Organized Retail Crime can be defined as the large-scale theft of everyday consumer items by organized groups or professional shoplifters. Professional shoplifters, otherwise known as “boosters”, steal or illegally obtain merchandise that is later sold or “fenced” to other people. Organized Retail Crime is often an umbrella term associated with similar crimes such as gift-card and receipt fraud. Recently, however, more and more of these crimes have been taking place online, rather than face-to-face due to recent technological advances.
An initial investigation by WYPD determined about 12 people, “boosters” were working in groups of 3-4 individuals to commit retail thefts and then returning the stolen merchandise without a receipt for credit on a store merchandise credit card (gift cards). It was also known that the groups were stealing specific products for resale.
The gift cards and products were being taken to the organizer, James Giuffrida, who lived in and ran a sign and graphics business (Powerhouse Graphix) in West York. Giuffrida would buy the gift cards at 50-70% of the value, and sell them online for 70-90% of the value. He would also buy the product for $2.00-$5.00 each and resell them online for profit.
On November 12, 2012 the West York Police Department executed a search warrant on Giuffrida’s home and business and seized over 700 gift cards, hundreds of stolen items, hundreds of pieces of documentation of transactions of illegally obtained gift cards, over $12,000 cash, hundreds of counterfeit (pirated) music CD’s and movie DVD’s. and over a dozen computers.
Through documentation located during the search warrant and information received from the stores, we have identified over 200 individuals involved, which continues to grow as we receive new information from retailers.
WYPD has since served over 20 search warrants on e-mail accounts, bank accounts, social media webpages, online auction and classified advertisement webpages, online gift card companies, storage sheds and phone records.
To date, the investigation shows that these individuals committed over 2,500 unreported and unknown retail thefts and/or return fraud incidents at 92 retailers at over 300 locations in York, Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon and Lancaster Counties, Pennsylvania and northern Maryland, with an estimated loss to retailers of approximately $750,000.
WYPD has charged over 110 people involved in this ring and are pending charges on 20 additional people. We were able to eliminate several subjects and are still attempting to locate 30 others.
This is the largest ORC ring for this type relating to dollar amount in Central PA, and may be the largest on the east coast relating to the amount of people involved. This is also the largest case the York County District Attorney’s Office has ever handled.
Ptlm. David Kahley was the lead investigator on this case.
Contacts regarding this case are:
Chief Justin Seibel West York Police 717-854-1975
Lashani Sunday York County District Attorney’s Office 717-771-9600
Magisterial District Justice Walter Groom 717-845-5508
(for charging documents and search warrant documents)
West York Borough Police Department
1700 W. Philadelphia Street
York, Pa 17404
The charges are broken down as follows
(all towns are in PA unless otherwise indicated)
- The following person has been charged with the following felonies: organized retail theft, conspiracy to commit organized retail theft, conspiracy to commit receiving stolen property, solicitation of retail theft. Additional charges are pending a full investigation. Giuffrida is currently being held at York County Prison on $25,000 bail and a probation violation.
James L. Giuffrida, 30, 1415 W. Market St. of West York (in York County Prison)
- The following person has been charged with conspiracy to organized retail theft, retail theft, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, conspiracy to commit retail theft, conspiracy to commit theft by deception and conspiracy to receiving stolen property. These people were further involved in the inner workings of the group and/or acted as recruiters.
Matthew Foster, 20, York (in York County Prison)
Nicholas Prosser, 24, Camp Hill
Larry Pugh, 38, Hanover (in York County Prison)
Brandon Scannell, 23, Hanover
Shane Schanfelter, 20, Hanover (in York County Prison)
Charles Walker, 44, York
Robert Zidwick, 31, York (in York County Prison)
- The following people have been charged with conspiracy to commit retail theft, conspiracy to commit theft by deception and conspiracy to receiving by stolen property. These people committed retail thefts and/or exchanged stolen merchandise for credit on gift cards.
Adam Albright, 39, York (in York County Prison)
Corey Bair, 31, Hanover
Cory Baker, 22, Spring Grove
Rhiannon Beaulieu, 26, Shrewsbury (in York County Prison)
Edward Bendick, 46, York
Ilena Blackburn, 24, Spring Grove (in York County Prison)
Joshua Boger, 32, York
Jason Bollinger, 35, York (in York County Prison)
Justin Bowman, 29, Hanover
Ashlyn Brady, 27, Hanover
Jennifer Busbey, 21, Hanover
Amanda Catchpole, 22, York
Kelly Conley, 40, Hanover
Thomas Corrigan, 23, York
Anthony Cortes, 27, York (in York County Prison)
Shane Crawford, 26, Hanover
Mario Dente, 47, Hanover
Shane Dixon, 21, Hanover
Richard Dorsey, 24, Hanover (in York County Prison)
Alexis Eckenrode, 23, York Haven
Anisa Ehteshami, 21, Hanover
Jesse Ellis, 28, Red Lion (in York County Prison)
Kasie Emig, 23, Hanover (in Berks County Prison)
Rebecca Fields, 20, Hanover
Jamie Fogle, 21, York
Steven Forbes Jr., 19, Hanover
Shawn Frame, 34, Hanover
Mariam Fuchs, 26, York
Zachary Funt, 25, Hanover
Cheylin Garber, 26 (in York County Prison)
Derrick Garrett, 26, Hanover (in York County Prison)
Joseph Giunta, 42, (in York County Prison)
Daniel Glass, 24, Manchester, Maryland (in Baltimore Co. Prison)
Jennifer Goodermuth, 22, Hanover (in York County Prison)
Coby Groff, 25, York
Amanda Gruber, 26, Jacobus
Laura Hampton, 22, York Haven
Keith Hansen, 28, York (in York County Prison)
Mallory Harmon, 22, York
Richard Hatfield, 37, Hanover
Jennifer Herman, 22, Thomasville
David Highfill, 22, Hanover
Chad Hohenadel, 24, York (in York County Prison)
Ryan Hoy, 24, Hanover
June Hughes, 49, York
Ian Jacques, 24, York
Wesley Kepner, 34, Carlisle
Eric Klineyoung, 25, York
Robert Knight, 26, York Haven
Bryan Knisley, 30, York (in York County Prison)
Kay Knouse, 30, Hanover
Craig Koser, 31, York
Justin Krisovich, 32, York
Jared Krout, 25, York (in York County Prison)
Toby Lawrence, 38, Gettysburg
Brandon Lerew, 26, York
Dennis Lewis, 34, Manchester
Jeremy Loughlin, 19, Hanover
Milton Lucas, 47, York
Matthew Mahone, 34, York
William Marshall, 40, Dover
Nicole Martinez, 27, Hellam
Lloyd McCumber, 24, York (in York County Prison)
Megan McDaniel, 20, Spring Grove (in Muncy SCI)
Joseph McKim, 40, Hanover
Ryan McMillion, 20, Hanover
Shane Metz, 36, Dover
Raena Miller, 32, Carlisle
Shonna Miller, 22, Manchester
Michael Neuland, 19, Glenville
Samantha Owczarek, 24, Duncannon
Bradley Packard, 31, York
Brittnay Parker, 23, Halifax
Joseph Paul, 24, Hampstead, Maryland (currently in Smithfield SCI)
Cameron Phillips, 28, Hanover
Corinna Reese, 25, Hanover
Allen Rehmeyer, 34, Manchester
Jason Reimer, 28, Wellsville
Taylor Rizzio, 20, Mount Wolf
Christine Robey, 20, Hanover
Cory Schmick, 29, York
Phillip Seidel, 39, Thomasville (in York County Prison)
Eli Schiery, 34, Hanover (currently in York County Prison)
Sheila Schiery, 34, Hanover (currently in York County Prison)
Ashley Schmidt, 23, Highspire
Ashley Schulz, 24, Lancaster
Michael Scusselle, 34, York
Jamilla Shabazz, 19, New Oxford
William Shortt, 42, York
Danielle Smith, 22, Hanover (in York County Prison)
Sandra Smith, 42, Hanover
Patrick Sneeringer, 20, Hanover
Brittany Stamm, 23, Hanover
David Stickel, 39, Lancaster
Lauretta Stine, 40, Hanover (in York County Prison
Jennifer Stokes, 23, Hanover (in York County Prison)
John Summerford, 64, York (in York County Prison)
Romaine Summerford, 65, York
Joseph Taylor, 23, Hanover
Steven Thomas, 32, Manchester
Kelly Tracey, 27, Thomasville (in York County Prison)
Emeline Weir, 26, York (wanted on these charges)
Marcel Wengerter, 28, Hellam (in York County Prison)
William Wentz, 22, Spring Grove
Daniel Wert, 24, York Haven
- The following people will be charged with conspiracy to commit retail theft, conspiracy to commit theft by deception and conspiracy to receiving by stolen property. These people committed retail thefts and/or exchanged stolen merchandise for credit on gift cards. Because of the case overload at the DA’s Office, these people’s charges will be filed after others are resolved.
Bradley Breon, 30, York
Dakota Canouse, 25, Hanover
Jackie Chronister, 23, Hanover
Nikki Collins, 30, York
Crystal Colon, 25, Lancaster
Kayla Crespo, 19, Hanover
Douglas Dahlen, 27, New Oxford
Jennifer Gibboney, 28, York
Joshua Gorsuch, 22, Gettysburg
Brittaney Harris, 20, Spring Grove
Clinton Mann, 31, York
Randall Meinsen, 25, McSherrystown
Brian Oatman, 40, York
Bobby Perez, 33, Lancaster
Eric Rentzel, 35, York Haven
Izaiyah Reyes, 18, Lancaster
William Rivera, 30, Lancaster
Joel Robinson, 27, York
Jennifer Sipe, 33, Wrightsville
Peter Trochin, 39, West York
- The following people are wanted for questioning in this case. WYPD has attempted to contact them and does not have a good address or phone number for them.
Wesley Bentzel, 25, Spring Grove
Allen Braun, 31, Airville
Walter Brown, 49, York
Michael Contreras, 58, Hanover
Satya Dani, 43, Cockeysville, MD
Isabel Danner, 46, York
Brandon Dawson, 30, York
Stephanie Dorsey, 24, Chambersburg
Leroy Friend, 50, York
Michael Garland, 27, Duncannon
Stephen Giuffrida, 54, York
Wesley Graves, 55, York
Chad Hoy, 26, Hanover
Brandon Kenney, 20, York
Emily Knouse, 30, York
Jennifer Long, 30, Hanover
Ryan Mashington, 31, Lancaster
Carlos Pabon-Molina, 34, York
Brent M. Miller, 24, York
Christine McGrew, 37, York
Jamie Reedy, 28, Delta
Brett Redding, 27, Dallastown
Dennis Rodkey, 25, York
Ronald Stephens, 56, York
Keisha Smith, 18, Hanover
Joshua Showers, 29, Hanover
Billi Semprevivo, 34, Tarentum, Pa
Jerry Stern, 26, York Haven
Blair Willard, 21, Mount Wolf
Andrew Wilks, 57, York