Mobs of thieves have hit up retailers around the country recently by quickly raiding stores and taking off with piles of merchandise in a matter of minutes. State Representative Lane Roberts, a Republican from southwest Missouri’s Joplin, is sponsoring a bill meant to address these organized theft crime rings, such as so-called smash-and-grab crimes.
A House committee is considering his proposal.
The legislation would create the felony offense of organized retail theft and require online marketplaces to obtain and regularly verify certain information from high-volume third-party sellers.
Amazon opposes the bill and says instead of targeting bad actors, the bill will set up roadblocks for legitimate sellers.
