Gastonia, North Carolina (Queen City News) — A crime trend seen across the nation has now hit the Carolinas: the theft of Stanley Cup water bottles.
Investigators say two men allegedly entered the store and took items without permission, and are accused of stealing a Stanley Cup valued at $1,350 from Academy Sports on East Franklin Street in Gastonia last Friday afternoon.
The former FBI agent said theft is a way to make quick money, so stores must act quickly to prevent the crime.
Their bags are full.
Gastonia Police say the pair stole more than 30 Stanley Cups, valued at $45 each, with the hopes of quickly and easily returning them.
“It’s expensive, it’s not that big, it’s available in large quantities and it has very high resale value,” said M. Quentin Williams, a former FBI agent and federal prosecutor.
Police are working to track down a theft suspect in Gastonia.
“Retailers are going to be a lot more careful going forward,” Williams said.
Stanley Cup thefts appear to be on the rise across the country.
Earlier this year, police in Roseville, California I posted pictures of my harvest on Facebook. From large scale theft.
Investigators arrested a woman after she allegedly stole the Stanley Cup, valued at $2,500.
Also in the past few days alone, police in Nassau County, Florida, arrested four women for stealing about $5,000 worth of items, including champagne, lobster and a Stanley Cup, from grocery and hardware stores.
“If they were outside and not behind glass or bars, they could easily access it as well,” Williams said.
Williams said stores will likely start taking steps to prevent the Stanley Cup from being stolen.
“They’ll just have a few on display, and if you want to buy one, just ask them and they’ll go get it for you,” Williams says. “That way the cost is passed on to the consumer, reducing the risk for everyone.”
Williams said thefts could force retailers to file more insurance claims, which could result in stores having to pay higher premiums, providing an incentive for retailers to take steps to prevent costly thefts.
