Thousands of Dollars in Merchandise & Pills Found During Sting

On Friday, December 9, 2022, deputies and detectives from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office partnered with local loss prevention employees to saturate a specific area and deter retail theft.

They watched people who were actively shoplifting or engaging in other criminal activity. The objective was a concerted effort to identify, apprehend, and hold people accountable for committing retail theft at a Beaverton Target store.

The eight-hour shoplifting detail resulted in six arrests, the recovery of illegal narcotics, and the clearing of several outstanding arrest warrants.

During the operation, deputies recovered thousands of dollars in merchandise and 35 blue “M30” Oxycodone pills, which likely contained fentanyl.

Many of the arrested persons appeared to have prior knowledge of how to interrupt retail anti-theft devices, worked in pairs to conceal stolen property, or left their vehicles running in the parking lot for a quick escape.

One suspect also admitted to having stolen property from another retail store located in Mall 205 in Portland.