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CVS representative describes cross‑state theft crew and $150,000 U‑Haul seizure
Summary
Mike Burke of CVS told county legislators that organized crews target multiple stores and cited an impounded U‑Haul containing about $150,000 in merchandise; he urged better police‑retailer coordination and real‑time data sharing.
Mike Burke, who introduced himself as "Mike Burke from CVS Pharmacies," described the patterns his stores experience and gave a recent example of a cross‑state crew.
"We ended up following from Orlando, Florida all the way up to Queens... When they had contacted U-Haul, the truck was overdue on the lease. The truck was impounded. There was a $150,000 worth of merchandise in the back of the truck," Burke said, relating a recent operation in which a traveling crew returned with large volumes of stolen product.
Burke and other retailers said crews often hit multiple CVS locations in one sweep and that license‑plate reader cameras (LPRs) and coordinated alerts have helped law enforcement intercept traveling crews. "That's a lot of the traveling crews that when we refer to a traveling crew, they're going like I said, they could be going the whole East Coast," he added.
Burke encouraged more consistent communication between stores and local police so stores know whom to call for video and evidence. He also said store staff sometimes do not follow up on reports because of understaffing, and recommended a centralized contact or liaison so detectives and prosecutors can quickly assemble multi‑incident cases.
