CLEVELAND, Ark. (KATV) — A Conway couple, Andrew Sellwood and his wife Robyn Rosamond-Sellwood, have been arrested for their alleged roles in a $2 million organized retail crime (ORC) operation, according to Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin.
Sellwood, a British national living in the U.S. on an expired visa, and his wife face felony theft by receiving charges after a search warrant was executed at a Cleveland, Arkansas property.
The bust was the result of a multi-agency investigation involving the Attorney General’s Special Investigations Division, Homeland Security Investigations, Conway County Sheriff’s Office, and Home Depot’s Corporate Investigations Team.
Griffin said the couple was involved in a sophisticated scam using fraudulently obtained Home Depot gift card information. Criminals would scan gift card details in stores, then return the cards to shelves, later using the data to make online purchases.
An estimated $2 million worth of goods were purchased using more than 6,000 compromised gift cards and shipped to the couple’s Arkansas address. The merchandise was then resold via multiple online storefronts.
$116,000 in electronics and consumer goods were seized from the property, along with computers and mobile phones now undergoing digital forensic analysis. The sheer volume of items recovered required two large moving trucks for transport.
Griffin emphasized that the arrests are just the beginning of uncovering the full scope of this nationwide ORC network, calling it a “big win in Arkansas’ fight against organized retail crime.”
“This would not have been possible without our dedicated ORC investigator and the support of the legislature and Governor,” Griffin said.
