Super Burglary Ring in Tulsa?

[Hawkins]

Found out about this Best Buy incident from a random conversation recently:

http://kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=129803

Also found these links, after taking an interest in this:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/22/thieves-rob-best-buy-blind/

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadget-sos/phantom-burglary-ring-targeting-tech-271451.php

A former employee of "In-edible" Pizza (on 71st at Memorial) informs me that their safe also was stolen overnight by burglars who entered through the ceiling sometime last year.

The news on 6 article says Police have an idea who the thieves are, but no proof. That in itself is very interesting.

Retired Special Forces maybe? This is a truly enticing story to contemplate.

As this year nears an end, I wonder if they will strike again?

What do you guys think about this?

Personally, I feel that the real safes in or around Tulsa (the ones with the MOST moola) are inside those community leaching casinos.

I would absolutely LOVE to hear of one of those being knocked off by these guys, but since most of those operations stay open and suck money out of the community 24/7, I doubt it will happen.

--

[sauerkraut]

WoW~ Thanks for posting this story. This is the first I herad of it. It sounds like it's right out of HollyWood. Reminds me of the movie "Entrampment". This is clearly a highly pro. ring. Perhaps with inside info or connections or even inside help. I did see that the Dallas/Fort Worth area is having a big problem with big rigs being stolen and the goods in them removed. The goods have been found in other states and other countries. A truckers mag. had a story about that. I'd like to know how those crooks pulled off some of those jobs. The 5,000 pound safe theft shows that no safe is really safe. If they want something inside of that safe they will get it..

[sauerkraut]

The one thing about theft/B&E is the punishment (if caught) is not much and the rewards high. The effort and planning that has gone into some of those jobs is stunning. Lawmakers like to up the punishment on many crimes from prostitution,  speeding, seatbelts, to DWI and anything else in between, but when it comes to having your home broken into or your car stolen and things like that the punishment is very light if the perp is even caught... I never heard of a lawmaker calling for more tuff laws for theft and B&E's... [xx(]

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by sauerkraut

The one thing about theft/B&E is the punishment (if caught) is not much and the rewards high. The effort and planning that has gone into some of those jobs is stunning. Lawmakers like to up the punishment on many crimes from prostitution,  speeding, seatbelts, to DWI and anything else in between, but when it comes to having your home broken into or your car stolen and things like that the punishment is very light if the perp is even caught... I never heard of a lawmaker calling for more tuff laws for theft and B&E's... [xx(]

They are often charged with multiple offenses however and subject to RICO charges as well. These groups usually have a lifestyle that begs prosecution in many areas.

About two years ago I was working for one of the big box retailers locally. We also were broken into in the middle of the night through the roof. They were not exactly professional, though surely experienced. They attempted to cut the security alarm wires but cut the wrong ones, disabling the phone system. That attracted the security service who called the managers then the police.

The police arrived within 15 minutes of the alarm but the thieves had already stolen bunches of laptops and software off the display floor and departed. We were also told that they knew who the players were but could not arrest them unless they caught them during the burglary or in possession of goods. They have a ready market for the goods on the internet and pawn shops so they rarely get caught. Apparently these groups have been operating for years.

[sauerkraut]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

quote:Originally posted by sauerkraut

The one thing about theft/B&E is the punishment (if caught) is not much and the rewards high. The effort and planning that has gone into some of those jobs is stunning. Lawmakers like to up the punishment on many crimes from prostitution,  speeding, seatbelts, to DWI and anything else in between, but when it comes to having your home broken into or your car stolen and things like that the punishment is very light if the perp is even caught... I never heard of a lawmaker calling for more tuff laws for theft and B&E's... [xx(]

They are often charged with multiple offenses however and subject to RICO charges as well. These groups usually have a lifestyle that begs prosecution in many areas.

About two years ago I was working for one of the big box retailers locally. We also were broken into in the middle of the night through the roof. They were not exactly professional, though surely experienced. They attempted to cut the security alarm wires but cut the wrong ones, disabling the phone system. That attracted the security service who called the managers then the police.

The police arrived within 15 minutes of the alarm but the thieves had already stolen bunches of laptops and software off the display floor and departed. We were also told that they knew who the players were but could not arrest them unless they caught them during the burglary or in possession of goods. They have a ready market for the goods on the internet and pawn shops so they rarely get caught. Apparently these groups have been operating for years.

The rewards are high in these crimes.. They can steal alot in 15 minutes. When they cut holes in the walls or roof that is really bold. I think alot of these type of crimes have inside help who know where the cameras and Video tape recorders are and things like that and they dis-able them.

[PonderInc]

On a different front, has anyone noticed some suspicious "door-to-door" salesmen in their neighborhoods lately?  If so, I think they might be "casing" the homes in your neighborhood.

Yesterday, we had a couple young men pretending to be door-to-door salesmen.  (One was holding a spray bottle of "Advantage" cleaner as a prop.) Each one had a small backpack.  Baggy pants, shirts hanging out...didn't seem too interested in actually selling anything, as they worked their way sort of randomly down the street.

Interestingly, they didn't attempt to talk to me while I was standing on my front porch, but they were very interested in my neighbors' houses down the street...so much so that they occasionally split up to get a better look around the side.

A friend of mine confronted them and asked to see their permit for selling door to door.  They didn't have one.  They said that they were from Chicago, and their boss was staying at a local hotel.  He asked to see their ID.  They said they didn't have any on them.

They didn't stick around after that.  I should have called the cops, but I didn't realize they were scoping the neighbood until it was too late...

Here's a news story from Bethesda, MA that sounds exactly like what we witnessed:
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0708/536970.html

[waterboy]

Sounds suspicious. We get a lot through our neighborhood that sound similar but its usually in the spring.

In a similar vein, I have been receiving phone calls each day at different times from a caller who immediately says, "I'm sorry, I must have dialed the wrong number". He dials it just about every day. I suspect he is logging times to see when the home is occupied. Or maybe we're just all paranoid since there's so much stuff going on.

[sauerkraut]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

Sounds suspicious. We get a lot through our neighborhood that sound similar but its usually in the spring.

In a similar vein, I have been receiving phone calls each day at different times from a caller who immediately says, "I'm sorry, I must have dialed the wrong number". He dials it just about every day. I suspect he is logging times to see when the home is occupied. Or maybe we're just all paranoid since there's so much stuff going on.

That is strange- I would not answer the phone or use voice mail and see what happens. Alot of this is people checking out homes. I had my old apartment burglerized in Fort Worth Texas in 1980 they came in one day when I was at work and just looked around and did not take anything- but I noticed things moved around and things rummaged. I did not have anything of value, I even had a old B&W TV set, but someone rummaged thru my place and did not take a thing. I thought it strange, then about two weeks latter they came back & took stuff, they took a cassette radio recorder/player, a flashlight, a fuzzbuster, three of my 110 film cameras, and even some old girlie mags I had in the kitchen, they did not take the old TV set... Anyhow, I learned that if someone breaks in and just rummages thru your place and nothing is missing- beware they will return. Texas has a very high crime rate as it is and that's part of the reason I left.

[Kashmir]

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

On a different front, has anyone noticed some suspicious "door-to-door" salesmen in their neighborhoods lately?  If so, I think they might be "casing" the homes in your neighborhood.

Yesterday, we had a couple young men pretending to be door-to-door salesmen.  (One was holding a spray bottle of "Advantage" cleaner as a prop.) Each one had a small backpack.  Baggy pants, shirts hanging out...didn't seem too interested in actually selling anything, as they worked their way sort of randomly down the street.

Interestingly, they didn't attempt to talk to me while I was standing on my front porch, but they were very interested in my neighbors' houses down the street...so much so that they occasionally split up to get a better look around the side.

A friend of mine confronted them and asked to see their permit for selling door to door.  They didn't have one.  They said that they were from Chicago, and their boss was staying at a local hotel.  He asked to see their ID.  They said they didn't have any on them.

They didn't stick around after that.  I should have called the cops, but I didn't realize they were scoping the neighbood until it was too late...

Here's a news story from Bethesda, MA that sounds exactly like what we witnessed:
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0708/536970.html

YES!  They came to my door Thursday and I stupidly answered the door because I was expecting my brother.  She gave me a tattered pamphlet and said they had been in the neighborhood for 3 days already (great)and when I said that I would just call the 1-800 # on the brochure she snatched it away and stomped off.

[Bumby]

Bonus day for me!  I got the sorry I've dialed the wrong number phone call and the backpack toting, cleaner selling chick today.

The wrong number calls have been going on at my house for at least a month.  It appears to be a recording because after a couple of calls, I tried to interrupt the person to tell them to take my wrong number off their phone list. The voice just goes on then disconnects.  I figured it's some kind of auto dialer that calls a few numbers and I wasn't the first to pick up.

Didn't think much about the cleaner chick.  She had a towel and a spray bottle. I would have certainly let her clean my storm door, but she didn't offer!   []

The latest scuttlebutt around my neighborhood is that 6 houses have been burgled in the past couple of weeks.  Usually happens early in the day between 10 & noon. I live north of the fairgrounds and this rash of burglaries is rather uncommon for our area.

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by Bumby

Bonus day for me!  I got the sorry I've dialed the wrong number phone call and the backpack toting, cleaner selling chick today.

The wrong number calls have been going on at my house for at least a month.  It appears to be a recording because after a couple of calls, I tried to interrupt the person to tell them to take my wrong number off their phone list. The voice just goes on then disconnects.  I figured it's some kind of auto dialer that calls a few numbers and I wasn't the first to pick up.

Didn't think much about the cleaner chick.  She had a towel and a spray bottle. I would have certainly let her clean my storm door, but she didn't offer!   []

The latest scuttlebutt around my neighborhood is that 6 houses have been burgled in the past couple of weeks.  Usually happens early in the day between 10 & noon. I live north of the fairgrounds and this rash of burglaries is rather uncommon for our area.

Thanks Bumby. That makes sense because the guy always sounds the same. So, its one of those illegal machine calls and someone else answered first. What a career these folks chose.

[Hawkins]

Whoa, look what KRMG is reporting today...

http://krmg.com/localnews/2008/12/major-burglary-arrest-in-tulsa.html

Could this be the end?

[BKDotCom]

I read that on some other local news site (kotv or tulsa world..)
It's not clear if this is the best-buy ring.
Is it?

[Hawkins]

It sounded like it, but given the lack of in-depth reporting our local media sometimes give, it may be a while before we know anything more.

I'll keep this thread updated as we learn more.

[ARGUS]

our local news seriously lacks any any any investigating reporting. Why?
One more thing.......lets see pictures of this guy they busted!