$23,000 in merchandise taken from Tanger Outlet

Christian Osorio, left, and Kevin Kenny Palma / Provided by Livingston County Sheriff's Office

Written by Lisa Roose-Church - DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

Two New York men whom police described as "professional criminals" were arraigned Wednesday in Livingston County District Court in connection to the theft of more than $23,000 worth of merchandise.

Police are still seeking a third suspect, whom they've described only as a woman carrying a Miami identification card. Police have not been able to establish if the woman's ID is authentic, Sheriff Bob Bezotte said.

Kevin Kenny Palma, 23, and Christian Osorio, 19, are being held in the Livingston County Jail on a $100,000 bond for retail fraud for allegedly stealing more than $23,000 worth of merchandise from two stores at the Tanger Outlet Center at Kensington Valley in Howell Township as well as malls in Green Oak Township and Birch Run. They return to court next week for an exam conference.
Authorities said the men are believed to have targeted malls throughout the country and may be part of a larger criminal ring.

Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Gary Childers and Detective Lt. Scott Domine said it is unknown if the trio were selling the stolen goods — 438 pieces of clothing, including Polo shirts and bras — in a store or on the streets of New York.

They agreed the trio targeted well-known, expensive brand names like Abercrombie & Fitch, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Pacific Sunwear of California and Victoria's Secret.
"They want high-end stuff; it's easier to flip," Domine explained.

Detectives and Bezotte inventoried Wednesday the contents of five suitcases, which they say the female suspect checked at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, where she and the two male defendants were planning to catch a flight to New York.

Inside the suitcases were shirts ranging in value from $50 to $100 and bras ranging from $50 to $55 as well as cologne, shorts and other miscellaneous items. Included inside one suitcase was a device to remove anti-theft tags from the clothing and three new suitcases, which police speculate the trio would have used in future theft endeavors.

Investigators were concerned when they pulled two unopened packages of packing tape from one suitcase — a sign the trio may have shipped some items via the postal service. If so, those items most likely will not be recovered, investigators said.

Officials say Palma and Osorio would walk into a store with several empty vinyl tote bags and while one of the men distracted a clerk, the other would squat behind a rack of merchandise and stuff clothing into the bag. At least three of those bags were found inside the suitcases seized by police.

"They've been using these for some time," Childers said as he examined the vinyl bags.
The handle of each of the bags and the bottom of at least one bag were reinforced with duct tape, and wrinkled from use.

Police say one store manager who happened to walk outside at the same time as the suspects was able to get a license plate number from the suspect vehicle, which sheriff's officials were able to trace to the Alamo rental car company at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

Officers learned the female suspect was supposed to return the rental vehicle at around 11 a.m. Sunday, and police were waiting.

Bezotte said they believe the two New York men dropped the woman off so she could check in the five pieces of luggage. When the men returned the car to Alamo, they were taken into custody, but the woman was nowhere to be found.

"We believe one of the men tipped her off," Bezotte said.

Bezotte said the luggage was flown to LaGuardia Airport in New York, but with the assistance of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Detroit Metropolitan Airport, the luggage was returned and seized by the Livingston County Sheriff's Department.

Bezotte said the case was the result of good police work by Deputies Kendall Kretzschmer and Jeff Tanderys, Lt. Don Jakrzewski and Detective Don Welch, who continues to investigate.