Kris Mayes announces sentencing in TJ Maxx organized retail crime case

(The Center Square) – Organized retail crime continues to be a top priority for public prosecutors in Arizona.

California resident Bay Horn will be serving 2.25 years in state prison and 4 years of probation for stealing $26,000 last year from retailer TJ Maxx. Specifically, he pled guilty to "Organized Retail Theft" and "Fraud Schemes & Artifices" last month, according to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes' office.

He will also have to pay back $11,016 to the chain discount retailer. According to the sentencing memo from the Superior Court of Arizona, the money will begin getting paid back four months after he leaves prison.

In the span of a month, Horn, along with others, would steal items in bags from TJ Maxx and HomeGoods then fraudulently ask for their money back when they tried to return the stolen items, Mayes' office added.

"This case sends a strong message: organized retail theft will not be tolerated in Arizona,” Mayes said in a statement. “Those who defraud businesses and drive up costs for consumers will face serious consequences in our state.”

Whether it's small businesses or large retailers, stores around the country have been sounding the alarm on the issue. At the county level, the Maricopa County Attorney's office has also announced sentences related to organized retail theft in the Phoenix area, including a scheme to sell stolen Home Depot products in order to buy drugs.