A couple dubbed ‘modern day Fagins’ who ran a team of shoplifters to steal designer clothing which they flogged on eBay have been jailed for a total of seven years.
Nicola Wilcox, 28, and David Carroll, 33, pocketed more than £40,000 over two years selling the clothes on the online auction site under the username ‘Seller 21-21’.
The pair sold designer clothes, lingerie and perfumes that a gang of six thieves had pinched from shops in Birmingham city centre.
A court heard how they ‘cultivated a network of shoplifters’ and paid them as little as ten per cent of the retail value of the items they stole.
Nicola Wilcox (left) and David Carroll (right) pocketed more than £40,000 over two years selling the clothes on the online auction site under the username ‘Seller 21-21’
Carroll, who worked as a mechanic, stashed the stolen gear at his workplace in Newbridge Auto Centre in Birmingham while Wilcox sold them online.
The couple ordered the six-strong gang of thieves to steal items which they knew were the best-selling items on eBay in order to secure the biggest profits.
Brazen Wilcox advertised the goods as ‘new with tags’.
In a bid to cover her tracks she posted the goods to buyers using a franking machine at the company where she worked as an admin assistant.
The couple, of Birmingham, were caught when West Midlands Police noticed a spike in thefts of high value designer items last April.
Enquiries revealed similar items, including a Michael Kors handbag, being offered for sale by Seller 21-21 and on May 10 swooped at the car garage where they arrested the pair and seized property that had been swiped just days earlier.
The couple, of Birmingham, were caught when West Midlands Police traced several of the stolen items (including this Micharl Kors handbag) to the couple’s eBay account
Officers examined their phones and found mobile numbers linked to some of the city’s most prolific shoplifters – and supervised the construction of foil-lined bags to help them through shop security scanners.
Both were charged with conspiracy to handle stolen goods and drugs supply – having found they had used profits to buy and sell cocaine.
Wilcox was also charged with stealing postage costs from her employer.
They admitted the offences and at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday they were both jailed for three years and nine months.
Investigating officer, PC Matt Evans, said: ‘They ran a simple but effective scam, organising and directing thieves like a pair of modern day Fagins in an operation which netted them tens of thousands of pounds.
A court heard how the pair ‘cultivated a network of shoplifters’ and paid them as little as ten per cent of the retail value of the items they stole.
‘They cultivated a network of shoplifters and paid them as little as ten per cent of the retail value of the items they stole.
‘It meant they could offer designer goods for sale on eBay at a significant discount but still make a hefty profit.
‘In message exchanges to one another we found talk about how they would punish shoplifters who sold property to anyone else or who haggled for a higher price.
‘They were remorseless throughout* only finally breaking down when they were taken from the court to start their long prison terms.
‘The prison sentences handed down are pleasing. They reflect the severity and extent of their offending and will hopefully act as a warning to others.’