Illinois Hosts First-of-its-kind Statewide Conference to Fight Organized Retail Crime

Illinois Hosts First-of-its-kind Statewide Conference 

to Fight Organized Retail Crime

 Law Enforcement, Retailers, Security Experts Collaborate to Address Rising ORC in Illinois


ROSEMONT – The Illinois Organized Retail Crime Association (ILORCA) today hosted its inaugural statewide organized retail crime conference, bringing together hundreds of law enforcement officers, retailers, prosecutors, and industry leaders to strengthen partnerships and advance efforts to combat organized retail crime across Illinois.


The day opened with welcome remarks from Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, whose office has been a leader in combating organized retail crime. Since the formation of the Cook County Sheriff's Police Organized Retail Crime Unit in 2023, the unit has recovered more than $11 million in stolen merchandise while disrupting criminal networks operating throughout the region.


The full-day conference focused on the evolving retail crime landscape, with sessions covering emerging crime trends, cargo theft, cybercrime, supply chain security, and coordinated enforcement strategies.


Keynote speakers included fraud prevention expert Frank Abagnale, author of the bestselling autobiography Catch Me If You Can, and security expert and bestselling author Robert Siciliano, who shared insights on the increasingly sophisticated tactics used by criminal organizations and the strategies businesses and law enforcement can use to prevent and respond to these threats.


“Illinois ranks among the nation's top three states for cargo theft, while reports show violent retail crime is escalating statewide,” said Anne Sagins, Executive Director of ILORCA. “Auror data shows that 10 percent of retail crime offenders were responsible for more than 63 percent of retail crime in Illinois last year. It’s clear that organized prolific offenders are targeting multiple retailers and jurisdictions. No single sector can address this alone. It requires a coordinated response across law enforcement, the business community, and government.”


The conference was a unique opportunity to connect leading experts across public and private sectors. ILORCA is the first organization of its kind in the nation to bring railroads, trucking companies, and distributors together to address these crimes from every angle of the supply chain.


Additional speakers included Bryan Laurie, chief of police for BNSF Railway Police; Alysa D. Erichs, spokesperson for United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade (USA-IT) and former acting executive associate director for Homeland Security Investigations; Raul Aguilar, senior director of law enforcement partnerships-Americas at Auror and former deputy assistant director at Homeland Security Investigations; and Cornell Heldenbrand, vice president of security at J.B. Hunt Transport Inc.


ILORCA also recognized outstanding leadership in the fight against organized retail crime by presenting the following inaugural awards:


Outstanding Law Enforcement Professional of the Year Award: Michael Ware, commander, Cook County Sheriff's Police Department, Organized Retail Crime Unit

Outstanding Asset Protection Professional of the Year Award: Saul Martinez, asset protection specialist, The Home Depot

Outstanding Organized Retail Crime Investigation Award: Cook County Sheriff's Police Department Organized Retail Crime Unit for its May 2026 cargo theft investigation in Bridgeview


ILORCA remains committed to developing strong, ongoing partnerships across Illinois to build a more effective, unified response to organized retail crime.

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