TLDR: "In Virginia, where a state report found that approximately $1.3 billion in merchandise is stolen this way annually, state lawmakers approved legislation Thursday that will make organized retail theft a felony and make those convicted of the crime eligible for prison sentences of up to 20 years.
The legislation, which has the governor's support, will make it a Class 3 felony for anyone to conspire or act in concert with one or more people to steal retail merchandise with a value exceeding $5,000 in a 90-day period, with the intent to sell the stolen goods for profit."

Why is Virginia news being posted here?

Actually, I know why based on the many crime posts. But it seems to be that many posters actually hate DC/the region.

$5,000 seems like a pretty high cutoff. Doesn’t seem like it will do anything against the majority of these events which seem to be clothing and convenience store flash mobs. At the least it should be stolen goods value and damage to property value and compensation value for the business needing to be closed for repairs.

Because the sub is about the DC area, not just DC. See Rule 3:

>Please keep content relevant to the people, places, and things in and about the DC area.
>
>This includes the immediate suburbs in Virginia (Alexandria/Arlington/Fairfax/Loudon)

Won’t someone think of the Apple Stores? 😢

Now do organized wage theft

I bet misclassifying workers alone is more than that

damn 🫤

What’s the point when VA cops executing people in Tyson’s for shoplifting now.

That doesn't seem too high. It's $9000 over a ninety day period, and it only applies to organized groups of shoplifters. Realistically anyone who is actually organizing a group of people to steal for such a long period of time is going to steal more than $5000 worth of merchandise.

* IT workers who are almost all exclusively classified as "Exempt" while being expected to work 50+ hours a week, plus be on call, have entered the chat. *

Finally, someone is standing up for the corporations

NoVA & MoCo/PGC are just Greater DC. Someday we will achieve statehood, form an army, & take what is ours

Though…it also helps make sure the businesses stay in the area, which benefits the rest of us…

"Heh heh. Fuck the capitalists. Heh heh."

— Every Brooklyn trustafarian.

So this is a reform bill.

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So if this new “conspiracy” law is implemented like drug conspiracy laws peripheral players are going to end up behind bars for trivial roles. I hope they are able to target the real offenders. There are a lot people behind bars for nonviolent drug offenses whose only real crime is dating an irresponsible loser.

I bet this will totally stop now that it's uhh... more illegal?

Good for Virginia. It will be interesting to see if this reduces the frequency of organized retail theft in comparison to what DC and Maryland are seeing, after the law goes into effect.

California seems to have gone in the opposite direction by treating thefts of less than $950 as a misdemeanor that, theoretically could result in, at most, up to 6 months in jail.

From CVS

It's spelled Loudoun.

(who almost certainly fall under the computer worker exemption)