LANSING ? Jonathan Allen, 33, of Ecorse, was arraigned yesterday before Magistrate Steven R. Worpell?in 80th District Court in Harrison on four felony charges for allegedly stealing and subsequently selling Home Depot rental equipment, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. ?He was charged (PDF) with one count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony, and three counts of False Pretenses - $20,000.00 or more but less than $50,000. ?

The Attorney General?s office alleges Allen sold multiple pieces of heavy equipment, including a backhoe, excavator, and lift, to a Harrison man in June and July of 2023. The equipment was allegedly advertised on Facebook Marketplace and explained as belonging to a recently deceased relative of Allen?s. The Department alleges that the heavy equipment was rented from Home Depot locations in Taylor, Utica, and Farmington Hills and never returned. The estimated value of the alleged stolen machinery, which Allen sold for $23,000, exceeds $70,000. All of the stolen equipment has been recovered.?

?This scheme not only victimized the individual who was conned out of thousands of dollars but also disrupted business operations at several Home Depot locations and impacted countless customers who rely on these tools for their projects,? Nessel said. ?My FORCE Team is committed to holding accountable those who commit organized retail crimes.??

Allen will next appear in the 80th District Court?on August 19th.?

The FORCE Team and the Organized Retail Crime Unit were established in January 2023 by the Attorney General to target criminal organizations that steal products from retailers to repackage and sell for a profit. Two assistant attorneys general serve the FORCE Team full time, working with special agents within the Department of Attorney General and Michigan State Police detectives to investigate and prosecute these crimes. The unit also partners with the FBI?s Detroit Fraud and Financial Crimes Task Force and the Postal Inspection Service. This is a first-in-the-nation unit, unique in the 50 states as being the first such unit with embedded, dedicated staff from the Department of Attorney General.??

The FORCE Team is dedicated to working collaboratively with retailers and local law enforcement agencies to combat organized retail crime. FORCE is an acronym that stands for Focused Organized Retail Crime Enforcement. Recent corporate partners on investigations have included Sam?s Club/Walmart, Meijer, Target, Home Depot, TJ Maxx, Rite-Aid, Lululemon, Ulta Beauty, Amazon, and Lowe?s.?

Local law enforcement agencies or retailers with evidence of organized retail fraud are encouraged to email the FORCE Team.?