Florida has taken an increasingly aggressive stance on organized retail theft in recent years. The state now treats this offense as a serious crime with penalties far harsher than those associated with shoplifting.
Lawmakers now characterize organized retail theft as a coordinated effort to steal merchandise for resale, often involving multiple participants, large quantities of goods and repeated incidents across different stores. Individuals accused of participating in these efforts can find themselves facing felony charges even if they personally took only a small item as part of an organized operation.
The basics
Under Florida law, organized retail theft involves intentionally working with one or more people to steal merchandise from a store. The law focuses on coordinated activity rather than the value of a single item. If two or more people plan or act together—and the stolen goods meet certain value thresholds within a set timeframe—the charges can escalate quickly. In many cases, authorities combine the total value of merchandise taken during multiple events when determining charges, which means even lower-value items can lead to felony accusations when participation in a particular theft is considered to be part of a larger pattern.
Florida statutes also impose enhanced penalties when certain technology or tools are used to commit this particular kind of crime. Using a device to disable security tags, employing a getaway driver or coordinating thefts through text messages or social media can all strengthen the state’s case.
Retailers frequently work with law enforcement and loss prevention teams to track suspected groups, relying on surveillance footage, electronic records, witness statements and sometimes undercover operations. Because so much evidence is circumstantial and involves multiple stores or participants, misunderstandings are common. Someone who happened to be shopping with the wrong group or who unknowingly drove a friend to a store could be swept into an investigation as a result.
Given how broadly organized retail theft laws are written, even minimal involvement—such as carrying a bag or standing nearby—can be used to argue participation if prosecutors believe there was a shared plan. This is why anyone accused of organized retail theft needs strong legal representation.
A skilled criminal defense lawyer can challenge the state’s interpretation of the evidence, question whether a coordinated plan truly existed, argue against improper aggregation of merchandise values and highlight gaps in surveillance or witness accounts. Early intervention can lead to reduced charges, dismissal or other favorable outcomes.
