The leader of a large retail theft ring based in Oklahoma pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to all 214 counts in an indictment.
Linda Ann Been, 49, also known as Linda Gann, admitted to a series of crimes linked to what prosecutors said was a six-state operation that used shoplifters to steal over-the-counter medications and other items that would then be resold online.
In her plea, Been admitted to instructing others to steal items for her and deliver the items to either her Cleveland, Oklahoma, mobile home park home or her home in a recreational vehicle park about seven miles north of Sand Springs. Been is now living in Tulsa, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
After receiving the items, Been admitted to shipping the items to an out-of-state fencing operation and receiving about $4.5 million in payments.
People are also reading…
Federal prosecutors announced in January that a grand jury had named Been and 22 others in a 214-count indictment that included racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering.
Been was accused of running the “fencing” organization with her boyfriend, Billy Don Osborne, and others.
Many of the same people charged in federal court also face state charges in Tulsa County District Court.
The indictment alleged that Been used more than 20 “boosters,” organized shoplifters, to steal over-the-counter medication and other items from stores in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and Colorado.
The targeted drugs ran the gamut, including Allegra, Prevagen, Zantac, Rogaine, Zyrtec, Viviscal, Mucinex, Claritin, Culturelle, Flonase, Nasacort and vitamins — as well as cosmetic items and tooth-whitening strips, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson said at a press conference about the case in January.
The boosters hit Akin’s Natural Foods, CVS, Costco, GNC, Reasor’s, Sam’s Club, Sprouts, Target, Walgreens and Walmart stores in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Norman, Edmond, Moore, Owasso, Claremore and Jenks, according to prosecutors.
The investigation began in 2019 after Hector Leal, an organized crime investigator with CVS Health, noticed a trend of bulk thefts of specific items from Tulsa-area stores, an affidavit states. Using open-source records and sales on eBay, Leal linked Been and another person to several boosters and contacted the Tulsa Police Department.
TPD Detective Kayla Johnson, already investigating what appeared to be an aggressive shoplifting case involving Been, began connecting previous cases involving Been’s boosters and called on the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office for assistance.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tulsa also became involved.
“Cities across the United States, including Tulsa, have seen a sharp rise in organized retail theft,” said U.S. Attorney Johnson. “The losses drive up costs for retailers, which are then passed on to consumers. As shown in this case, my office and our law enforcement partners will diligently work together to identify, investigate and prosecute theft rings operating within northeastern Oklahoma.”
Others named in the scheme who have already pleaded guilty and await sentencing include:
Billy Don Osborne, who described himself in his plea as Gann’s former boyfriend, pleaded guilty July 7 to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
Amanda Kay Johnson, who admitted to conspiracy in her July 8 plea agreement with prosecutors. She did not steal any goods but permitted the stolen items to be stored at her Sand Springs business, Suburban Revival Boutique, according to her plea agreement.
Citing her minimal role in the scheme, prosecutors agreed to recommend that she serve probation in lieu of prison time. The proposed sentence still requires judicial approval.
Been, meanwhile, admitted to one count of conspiracy, 165 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 45 counts of crimes related to engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from a specified unlawful activity.