Two men convicted in Lowe’s retail theft ring

Two cousins and leaders of a more than $100,000 retail theft ring that targeted Lowe’s stores were convicted by a jury Wednesday at U.S. District Court in Seattle of 16 federal felonies.

Larsell Hollingsworth, of the Seattle-Renton area, and Leonard Hollingsworth, of Gilbert, Ariz., were found guilty of 15 counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud after a six-day trial, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office media release. U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lanik will sentence the two men May 11.

They led a theft ring that would steal high-value items from Lowe’s stores in Washington and four other states and use altered drivers licenses in their fraud.

Seven members of the conspiracy were originally charged. Five pleaded guilty prior to trial and most will be sentenced later this year.

According to records in the case and testimony at trial, members of the conspiracy would steal items, such as expensive faucets, from Lowe’s stores by placing them in large boxes for sinks or toilets. The conspirators would leave the store paying only the lower price for the sink or toilet.

In the ensuing weeks, members of the conspiracy would return the stolen items to different Lowe’s stores throughout Arizona, Oregon, California, Oklahoma and Washington, in exchange for gift cards.

Members of the conspiracy then sold the gift cards for cash. The ring caused more than $100,000 in losses to Lowe’s. In order to return Lowe’s items without a receipt, the conspirators used altered drivers licenses – changing one letter in the name and license number – so that the stores fraud detection systems would not be triggered with the multiple returns.

Lowe’s security, however, was able to detect the activities of the ring and worked with the U.S. Secret Service and King County Sheriff’s Office detectives to investigate their activities.