Following an investigation into retail theft in the Boise area, Boise Police say Kyle Williamson-Smith, 30, has been arrested in East Wenatchee, Washington. Williamson–Smith was booked into the Chelan County Jail on Sunday, January 13, for warrants out of Ada County.
“Williamson Smith is believed to be responsible for stealing tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from over a dozen Boise area retailers -- as well as retailers in Northern Idaho, Oregon, and Washington,” according to a Boise Police news release.
This week, Boise Police and local law enforcement in East Wenatchee served a search warrant at a home linked to the suspect and found over $14,000 worth of stolen products including razors, fishing line, diet pills, allergy medicine and more, officials said.
In November of last year, Boise Police officers were made aware of a suspect who was stealing large amounts of health and beauty products from grocery stores and other retailers in the Boise area.
Through the Organized Retail Crime Association of Idaho, businesses linked the suspect to burglaries dating back to last June. In December of last year and January of this year, retailers once again noticed the suspect stealing items from their stores, but his identity remained unknown. In most cases, the suspect was only in the store for a matter of minutes, the release explained.
A Boise Police investigation found an eBay account selling many of the items that had been stolen from Boise area retailers.
“Following further investigation -- and with the help of eBay’s Global Asset Protection Team -- the suspect linked to the eBay account was identified as Kyle Williamson-Smith. (He) was then identified as the same suspect seen on camera stealing items from local retailers,” the release said.
The investigation resulted in an arrest warrant being issued and Williamson-Smith was taken into custody Sunday.
The eBay account linked to Williamson-Smith is suspected of selling hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen products. The investigation is ongoing and at this time Williamson-Smith is linked to burglaries at over thirty different retail stores and he is facing twenty felony burglary charges, according to police.
Williamson-Smith will likely be extradited back to Ada County.
(photos courtesy: Boise Police)
