Mass. Store Owner Hires Shoplifters, Sells $1 Million Worth Of Items Online

A local Massachusetts video store owner is accused of hiring dozens of shoplifters to steal items from numerous other stores to later be sold online, totaling more than $1 million in sales.

CBS Boston reports John Duplease, owner of Adopt A Video on Central Street in Leominster, faces charges of aggravated organized retail crime, being the leader of an organized retail crime and receiving stolen property valued above $1,200.

Leominster Police told CBS Boston Duplease's arrest stemmed from a year-long investigation into the store owner in relation to organized retail crime. The department said Duplease allegedly hired more than 26 "boosters" to steal items from stores including Home Depot, Target, Lowe's Walmart, CVS, Stop & Shop and Hannaford's.

Police said the "boosters" hired for the operation were past shoplifters and rug addicts who received a cash payout for their actions.

“He was taking stolen property that people were bringing him. A lot of prolific shop lifters and drug addicts,” said Leominster Police Chief Aaron Kennedy via CBS Boston. “They basically are people that are known shoplifters. Basically, that’s their job. And then there’s people that are drug users that take this money, they take this stolen property, to buy more drugs.”

The items were reportedly taken to Duplease after being stolen, who then sold them on his private eBay and Amazon accounts.

Police confirmed Duplease made a total of more than $1 million in sales from the stolen items. He was arrested after officers secured a search warrant and raided the Adopt A Video store, as well as his Lancaster home, following the investigation.

The search seized nearly 1,700 items at the local video store, which police said had become a criminal enterprise. More than 4,600 additional items were seized at Duplease's lakefront home.

Police estimate a total of more than $500,000 in stolen merchandise was found at both the Adopt A Video and Duplease's home, as well as cash at both locations.

Duplease was arrested and posted bail.

Photo: Getty Images