Sheriff announces F.O.R.C.E to fight organized retail crime

Published on August 06, 2026

COLUMBUS, OH – The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has announced a new central Ohio task force that will combat organized retail crime through partnership with several coordinating law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and retailers.

“F.O.R.C.E”, the Fraud & Organized Retail Crime Engagement task force, was established under the Ohio Attorney General’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC) and is led by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. The task force’s mission is to address organized retail theft and fraud in the central Ohio region.

“We’re proud to lead this new task force,” said Sheriff Dallas Baldwin. “These criminal networks impact businesses, employees, and consumers throughout our communities. By bringing together our law enforcement partners, prosecutors, and retailers, we strengthen our ability to investigate and hold organized crime accountable.”

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is the lead agency but works in partnership with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Clinton Township Police Department, Grandview Heights Division of Police, Westerville Police Department, Homeland Security, and our newest member agency the Columbus Division of Police.

The purpose of F.O.R.C.E is to fulfill House Bill 366, known as the FORCE Act, through the establishment of a task force supported by the Ohio Attorney General to combat complex criminal networks engaging in patterns of corrupt activity to include retail theft and fraud.

“Business owners, consumers and communities suffer when organized theft rings target local retailers,” said Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson. “Established through my office’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, this new task force is stepping up to dismantle these criminal networks and hold thieves accountable.”

The task force is also partnering with the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office and the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office to hold organized theft rings accountable through the application of the FORCE Act.

“Our Economic Crimes Unit has a proven track record of delivering results in complex retail theft and fraud cases, and this task force gives us the coordinated resources to confront organized theft rings operating at malls and commercial centers across Franklin County," said Shayla Favor, Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney. "These are not isolated shoplifting incidents. They are organized operations that drive up costs for businesses, put workers at risk, and destabilize the retail centers our communities rely on. This task force puts offenders on notice that Franklin County will investigate, prosecute, and hold them accountable."

What is the FORCE Act?

• Signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine on April 23, 2025

• Allows for aggregation of retail property theft by the same person for a 12-month period

• Makes retail property theft of $7,500 or more a third-degree felony

• Allows for creation of task force to investigate organized retail theft and fraud

Why is F.O.R.C.E needed?

According to the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, organized retail theft and fraud is estimated to cost Ohio businesses $2-3 billion annually and the residual effects to the consumer result in higher prices and potentially unsafe shopping conditions.

According to a 2025 report by the National Retail Federation, 54% of retailers nationwide reported an increase in repeat offender theft from the previous year, while cargo/supply chain theft increased 48% and shoplifting increased 46%.

What has F.O.R.C.E done so far?

• Started in March of 2026 • Recovered more than $145,000 in stolen retail merchandise

• Secured indictments against nine defendants

• Worked with law enforcement agencies in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana and Pennsylvania