San Francisco DA charges 9 involved in organized retail thefts

The district attorney in San Francisco on Tuesday night announced felony charges against nine people allegedly involved in a string of organized retail theft crimes.

Chesa Boudin filed felony charges against Francill White, Tomiko Miller, Kimberly Cherry, Ivan Speed, Raymond Phillips, Edward James Jr., Michael Ray, Jamisi Callaway and Daron Wilson in connection with the recent thefts, according to a local NBC News station. 

Five of the individuals were allegedly part of a mob of dozens of people who stormed a Louis Vuitton store and others at the shopping plaza Union Square on Friday night, stealing an estimated $1 million in merchandise.

Three others are accused of looting a cannabis dispensary in the city on the same night, while the ninth was charged with raiding a Walgreens.

It’s unclear exactly what the charges are. The Hill has reached out to Boudin’s office for comment.

Boudin, who is facing a recall election over accusations he has been soft on crime, said in a Tuesday interview on CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time” that he wants San Franciscans to feel safe.

“Let me be clear: I am doing everything in my power to keep San Francisco safe,” he told Chris Cuomo. “When [police] bring me and my office arrests, we file charges and we prosecute.”

San Francisco is grappling with a high volume of organized retail crime. Boudin recently set up a task force to investigate what he calls “fencing operations” among organized criminals.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) also called on mayors across his state to step up and stop the mass thefts.

Boudin has been accused of inviting the organized crime into the city because of his lax policies, but he repeated his claims that the crimes were “not limited to San Francisco” on CNN.

“We’re seeing these kinds of brazen robberies and burglaries all across the country,” he said.