West York Police said they have cracked open a retail theft ring that was orchestrated by a borough resident who ordered others to steal more than $750,000 in merchandise.

So far, police have made 110 arrests, West York Borough Police Chief Justin Seibel said Wednesday. Read West York Police Department's report on the organized theft ring here.

The operation spanned five counties in Pennsylvania and two in Maryland, where a small army of people committed more than 2,500 thefts at 92 retailers, police said.

"This investigation is far from over," he added.

Police said that for more than a year, James Lee Giuffrida, 30, of the 1400 block of West Market Street, recruited and directed them to steal items from local stores. Read the criminal complaint filed against James Giuffrida

"I'd say about 90 percent of the people have confessed to their involvement," said West York Officer David Kahley, who investigated the case.

The items were then returned to the same stores by a different person, or to a different store, and exchanged for gift cards. Giuffrida bought the gift cards from the thieves at a reduced price, then sold them for their full value on various websites, police said.

York County Assistant District Attorney Lashani Sunday said Wednesday that as far as anyone in the district attorney's office could tell, there has never been a case of this magnitude prosecuted before in the county.

"I haven't seen anything of this nature come through our office since I've been here," she said, explaining she started in 2010. "The other prosecutors in here haven't seen anything this large either."

Sunday said she heads up a team - which includes two other assistant district attorneys and a secretary

James Giuffrida, 30, of West York, who police say masterminded an organized retail theft ring out of his home and business in the borough. (York County Prison)
- whose sole purpose is to prosecute the case.

About 65 defendants waived their preliminary hearings on Thursday - held at the county courthouse because there were too many to be held at a district judge's office - and expects more to be held in February and March.

Kahley, who led the investigation, said police first became aware of Giuffrida by a tip from a nearby resident in early October.

Giuffrida operated a business, Powerhouse Graphix, out of his home, but the resident was suspicious "just because of the type of people, the dirty, disheveled characters, leaving with no products," Seibel said.

In addition, around the same time, a man who was arrested by Fairview Township Police on a traffic violation was found to have

West York Patrolman David Kahley talks about the arrests of 110 people involved in an organized retail crime ring (Daily Record/Sunday News -- Paul Kuehnel)
several items with him. When the man told police they were stolen and where he was going to take them, Fairview police called West York Police, Seibel and Kahley said.

On Nov. 12, West York Borough Police, along with help from West Manchester Township Police, executed a search warrant at Giuffrida's home.

Inside, they seized more than 700 gift cards, hundreds of stolen items, more than $12,000 in cash, and detailed records of the gift cards, according to police reports.

Police then obtained more than 20 additional search warrants on email accounts, social media websites and online auction sites, police said.

Giuffrida's network included people working as recruiters, getting street-level thieves to work for him, police said.

Among those arrested were Giuffrida's brother, Matthew Foster, 20, of York, who allegedly helped Giuffrida sell items online, and Shane Schanfelter, and Megan McDaniel, who pleaded guilty last year in connection with robbing the Papertown Dairy Bar in Spring Grove.

As police started interviewing those involved, they found that Giuffrida instructed his recruits on where to go and which stores were "getting hot," which meant they were becoming aware of the thefts, Kahley said.

In addition to the gift-card theft operation, Giuffrida also instructed the people working for him to steal small, expensive items from stores, such as car headlights, printer ink cartridges, razor blades, dental whitening strips, batteries, and designer glasses. Giuffrida sold these items on several websites, police said.

Kahley said police's investigation also found several unwitting accomplices - people who were approached by the thieves in the parking lots of retail stores - and were asked to return merchandise for them.

 

Charges

James L. Giuffrida, 30, 1415 W. Market St. of West York, has been charged with organized retail theft, conspiracy to commit organized retail theft, conspiracy to commit receiving stolen property and solicitation of retail theft. Giuffrida is being held in York County Prison on $25,000 bail and a probation violation.

The following people have 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, West York Police said.

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

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 County Prison)

Jennifer Goodermuth, 22, Hanover (in York County Prison)

Coby Groff, 25, York

Amanda Guber, 26, Jacobus

Laura Hampton, 22, York Haven

Keith Hansen, 22, 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)

Tody Lawrence, 38, Gettysburg

Brandon Lerew, 26, York

Dennis Lewis, 34, Manchester

Jeremy Loughlin, 19, Hanover

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

Samantha Owczarek, 24, Duncannon

Bradley Pakcard, 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 Siedel, 39, Thomasville (in York County Prison)

Eli Schiery, 34, Hanover (currently in York County Prison)

Sheila Scheiery, 34, Hanover (currently in York County Prison)

Ashley Schmidt, 23, Highspire

Ashley Schultz, 24, Lancaster

Michael Scussle, 34, York

Jamilla Shabazz, 19, New Oxford

William Shortt, 42, York

Danielle Smith, 22, Hanover (in York County Prison)

Sandra Smith, 42, 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

 

Related

Two of those arrested, Shane Schanfelter, and Megan McDaniel, pleaded guilty last year in connection with robbing the Papertown Dairy Bar in Spring Grove. Read the story here. 


Updated information on crime in York County

Check out these stories and photographs from cops and courts from York County's past