ORC News

FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC & BEYOND

MAORCA Announces Leadership Growth for 2026

MAORCA is pleased to announce several leadership additions supporting its mission to strengthen public-private partnerships and coordinated responses to organized retail crime across the region.

Jonathan Maser, Organized Retail Crime Investigator for The Home Depot, has been elected to MAORCA’s Board of Directors as West & Central Regional Director. Maser brings nearly four years of ORC investigative experience, following 20 years of progressive law enforcement service with the Clearwater (Florida) Police Department. After serving on MAORCAs Advisory Committee, he has demonstrated consistent commitment to the organization’s mission. In his new role, Master will help advance partnerships and initiatives supporting stakeholders throughout Central and Western Virginia.

MAORCA is also expanding leadership participation through its newly established Executive Council and Advisory Committee.

The Executive Council was created to incorporate perspectives from statewide retail / merchant associations and Attorney General’s Offices. MAORCA welcomes its first Executive Council members: Cailey Locklair, President of the Maryland Retailers Alliance, and Jenny Crittenden, CEO of Retail Alliance and in-house lobbyist for the Virginia Retail Federation.

In addition, MAORCA welcomes new Advisory Committee members Amber Rhodes, ORC Investigations Manager at Ulta Beauty, and Libby Humphries, Commonwealth’s Attorney for Fredericksburg, Virginia.

To view MAORCA’s full leadership roster, visit www.MAORCA.org/Leadership.

Thank You for Making the 2nd Annual MAORCA Fall Training Day a SUCCESS!

The MAORCA Board of Directors was proud to host the 2025 Fall Training Day on October 30, 2025, at Tysons Corner Center in McLean, Virginia. The event drew a record attendance of 150+ investigators, representing a 25% increase over the previous year, and reflecting the continued growth of regional collaboration to combat organized retail crime across the Mid-Atlantic.

Key Sessions & Speakers

The day opened with remarks from Maryland Delegate Karen Toles and Maryland Senator Ron L. Watson, Jr., Ph.D., who shared the “why” behind their sponsorship of Maryland’s recent organized retail crime legislation and the need for stronger accountability for repeat offenders who impact Maryland businesses.

Legislative Updates and Prosecutor Q&A
A focused session explored what’s next for state statutes impacting organized retail crime, real-world use-cases for existing laws, and a practical Q&A with prosecutors and industry partners, including:

  • Sarah Price, Maryland Retailers Alliance

  • Aaron Hale, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, City of Fredericksburg

  • Joyce King, Chief Counsel, Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office

  • Paul Halliday, Maryland Office of the Attorney General

Cargo Theft and Organized Retail Crime
Philip Johnson (TJX Supply Chain Investigations Manager) delivered insights on the growing overlap between large-scale cargo theft and organized retail crime networks, and how investigators can better recognize linkages between the two.

Case Building: From Retail Investigation to Prosecution Detective William Carter (Fairfax County) and Andres Oliveri (Marshalls District Loss Prevention Supervisor) led a practical guide on strengthening documentation, building investigative narratives, and making the transition from retail-level investigation to a prosecution-ready case file.

RFID Technology and Investigative Applications
John Moore (Macy’s Senior ORC Investigator) demonstrated how RFID can be leveraged in investigations, including examples relevant to both law enforcement and retail partners.

Interview Techniques for ORC Subjects
Deana McLees-Baily covered interview approaches and techniques tailored to organized retail crime subjects, emphasizing practical strategies investigators can implement immediately.

Emerging Trend: Gift Card Fraud
Detective Sergeant Howard Mergler (Fairfax County Police Department, MAORCA President) addressed gift card fraud as a rapidly evolving threat and shared mitigation strategies to help retail and law enforcement partners stay ahead of current trends.

Awards and Recognition

MAORCA’s Board of Directors also hosted an awards ceremony honoring leaders and teams whose work has made a measurable impact in dismantling organized retail crime enterprises in the Mid-Atlantic region. Awards recognized: Retail Investigator of the Year, Law Enforcement Investigator(s) of the Year, ORC Law Enforcement Team of the Year, and ORC Case(s) of the Year.

Congratulations to the 2025 Award Recipients!

Retail Investigator of the Year

AP Ops. Manager Davis Soules, Walmart

Law Enforcement Investigators of the Year

Detective Britta Thomas, Montgomery County Police Department

Corporal Colgan Wilson, Hampton Police Division

Investigator Lane Forrest, York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office

ORC Law Enforcement Team of the Year

  • Springfield Town Center Unit, Fairfax County Police Department

    • Detective Gibril Maydane

    • Detective Alfredo Cerna

    • Detective Mohammad Amini

    • Detective Drew Zirker

    • Detective Andrew Cox

ORC Cases of the Year

    • Operation Skin Deep

      • Detective Britta Thomas

      • HSI Special Agent Mike D’Angelo

      • Kyle Graser, Target Field Investigator

      • Jeff Meyer, Walmart Senior Global Investigator

      • Tiffany Gette, CVS ORC Investigator

    • Operation Dual Fraud

      • Operation Dual Fraud

        • HSI Special Agent Emily Grove

        • HSI Analyst Javier Acosta

        • Detective Justin Collier, Fairfax County

        • Kyle Graser, Target Field Investigator

        • Jeff Meyer, Walmart Senior Global Investigator

        • ERO Supervisory Agent David Slater

Save the Date: MAORCA Fall ORC Conference 2026

We’re thrilled to announce the 3rd Annual MAORCA Fall ORC Conference

October 28-29, 2025

Mark your calendars now — more details and registration info coming soon!

Thank You for Making the 6th Annual MDRA ORC Conference a Success!

To everyone who attended the Maryland Retailers Alliance 6th Annual ORC Conference — co-hosted by MAORCA — thank you! With over 150 attendees, we heard powerful presentations from:

  • Maryland Office of the Attorney General

  • U.S. Secret Service

  • USDA Special Investigations Unit

  • Retail industry leaders from the MD Retailers Alliance, MAORCA, and RILA

  • Corporal Wilson (Hampton, VA Police) on a major ORC fencing investigation

  • International Association of Interviewers on ORC subject interviewing and professional development

  • IP House sharing powerful OSINT tools (ip-house.com)

Special thanks to our MAORCA Sponsors:
Target, Amazon, LVT, Volt-AI, Auror, and our newest partner — McAfee Institute

And our Event Sponsors:
Giant, Target, Lowe’s, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Altria, Coca-Cola, Wegmans, Harris Teeter, Under Armour and AXIS.

Save the Date: MAORCA Fall ORC Conference – October 30, 2025

We’re thrilled to announce the 2nd Annual MAORCA Fall ORC Conference, hosted at Tysons Corner Mall on Thursday, October 30, 2025.

Mark your calendars now — more details and registration info coming soon!

New Investigative Tools Available on MAORCA.org

MAORCA has rolled out powerful new tools for your field use, including:

  • Comprehensive ORC Investigation Checklist

  • Pre-Sentencing Statement Guide — with aggravating factor language

  • ORC Investigation Template

  • Case Presentation Outline for prosecutors and leadership

Access all resources now at: www.MAORCA.org → Resources