WILKES-BARRE, Luzerne County — Police have arrested two individuals accused of orchestrating a multi-state retail theft scheme, stealing over $9,000 worth of goods from Home Depot and Target stores in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
According to the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the investigation began on January 21 when officers responded to two separate thefts at Home Depot. Police say Jamie Blake, 36, of Vermont, filled a cart with tools and left the store without paying, stealing a total of $4,248.21 worth of merchandise. On the same day, Joseph Badore, 41, also from Vermont, was seen walking out of Home Depot with a car full of tools and did not produce a receipt when asked.
Later that same day, Wilkes-Barre Township police responded to a $5,000 retail theft at Target, where the suspects matched the description from the Home Depot thefts. Further investigation revealed that Blake and Badore were involved in similar thefts across eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In each case, the duo fled the scene in a grey minivan with a Tennessee license plate.
On January 26, the suspects were apprehended after a chase in which Wisconsin County Sheriffs pulled over the grey minivan. Inside the vehicle, authorities discovered various stolen items, including tools and vacuums, linking the suspects to both Home Depot and Target thefts.
Blake and Badore have been charged with organized retail theft, along with several related offenses. The suspects are currently facing charges in connection to the series of thefts and will be held accountable for their alleged involvement in the crime spree.
