TULSA, Okla. — A Tulsa woman who headed a retail theft organization that caused more than $10 million in losses to retailers plead guilty Thursday, according to U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Linda Ann Been. 49, admitted to leading the operations in a blind plea. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy (Count 1); wire fraud (Counts 2-166); conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Count 167); conspiracy to commit money laundering (Counts 168-169); relating to engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity (Counts 170-214).

Johnson and Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor announced charges against 29 members of the organization who were arrested following a joint law enforcement investigation in January of this year. The investigation was known as “Operation Booster Buster.” So far, 16 federal defendants have plead guilty.

A “booster” is a person who steals goods and merchandise, specifically, but not limited to OTC from retail stores.

“Cities across the United States, including Tulsa, have seen a sharp rise in organized retail theft. The losses drive up costs for retailers which are then passed on to consumers,” said Johnson

According to state and federal court documents, Been led the ring of “boosters” that netted $4.5 million from the sale of stolen merchandise and over-the-counter stolen products through e-commerce sites, like eBay and Amazon.

Operations were staged out of northeastern Oklahoma and sometimes crossed state lines. Court documents revealed stores targeted included Reasor’s, Sprouts, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Costco, CVS, GNC, Walgreens and other stores.

On Sept. 14, 2019, several of the alleged boosters stole $1,329 worth of over-the-counter products, such as Flonase, Nexium, Muncinex, Zegerid and Allegra, from a Reasor’s in Jenks, Okla.

Normally, fences paid Been half the market value for each item. Been, in turn, paid her boosters half of her expected profit for each item they brought to her. Financial payments for the stolen products were normally made through PayPal, Venmo and CashApp.

A “fence” or “fencing operation” is a person, organization or entity that purchases or receives stolen goods and merchandise from boosters. The fence or fencing operation then re-sells the stolen goods and merchandise to third parties.

Been provided her boosters with a detailed list of items to steal and the pricing she would pay for each. She further instructed her ring on boosting techniques, like box stuffing. Box stuffing occurs when criminals conceal higher-value items inside lower-value item boxes. Once they conceal the item, they only pay for the lower-value items. Been and her team of boosters stole products from retailers in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri and Colorado.

Court records revealed Been paid her boosters’ expenses when they traveled outside the state. She would also pay boosters’ bond whenever they were arrested so they could continue boosting.

Boosters would then deliver the goods to predetermined locations in Tulsa, Sand Springs and Cleveland, Okla. According to the federal indictment, defendants Billy Osborne and Juston Osborne helped manage the operation by storing stolen inventory at their homes and businesses. They also assisted Been by prepping the merchandise for bulk shipments to fences outside the state. Been also stored stolen merchandise at her homes, coordinated payments, prepared inventories and shipped the pallets of stolen items.

Billy Osborne, 49, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Juston Osborne, 37, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Other co-defendants who have pleaded guilty are:

• Brandon Jamal Baldwin, 34: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Ambermeloni Charda Crawford, 24: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Amber Marie Clason, 28: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Derek James Enloe, 32: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Corey Ray Fields, 44: conspiracy
• Sharee Nashawn Galloway, 45: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Ashley Nicole Gill, 30: conspiracy
• Brittany Nicole Harkins, 29: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Amanda Kay Johnson. 40: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Daniel Eugene Payne, 53: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Katrina Ray Russell, 32: conspiracy to commit wire fraud

U.S. Immigrant and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Tulsa Police Department, Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, and Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Richard M. Cella and Reagan V. Reininger are prosecuting the case with assistance from the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office.

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