Attorney General Griffin Announces Arrest of Little Rock Man Following Organized Retail Crime Investigation; Accomplice Remains at Large

Griffin: ‘Anyone Engaging In Retail Crime … Should Know That We Are Committed To Holding Them Accountable’

LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement announcing the arrest of a Little Rock man for theft of property:

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin

“Earlier this year, my dedicated organized retail crime investigator received information from one of our private sector partners about possible organized retail crime occurring at a Marshalls store in Little Rock. At least two individuals and possibly a third had been observed executing a coordinated effort to steal merchandise from Marshalls on multiple occasions. These individuals stole merchandise valued at $1,464.58 during two separate incidents in December 2024.

“My office opened an investigation and identified two subjects: Casey Murrell Cunningham, 28, of Little Rock, and Sasha Rena Ziegler, 32, of Little Rock. Last week, Cunningham was located in White County and was arrested by the White County Sheriff’s Office. He was charged with theft of property, a Class D felony. After his arrest, it was discovered he also had active warrants from the Little Rock Police Department. He was transferred to Little Rock Police custody and transported to the Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility.

“Ziegler remains at large with a warrant issued for her arrest on the charge of theft of property. Anyone with information about Ziegler’s whereabouts should call my office at (501) 682-2007.

“I am grateful for the excellent work done by my Special Investigations Division and for the assistance of the White County Sheriff’s Office, the Little Rock Police Department, and Sixth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones. Anyone engaging in retail crime, whether through an organized enterprise or through petty theft, should know that we are committed to holding them accountable.”

Attorney General Griffin joins 37 AGs urging Congress to increase penalties for organized retail crime

Griffin: ‘This Legislation We Are Asking Congress To Pass Will Help Us In Our Local Fight Against Organized Retail Crime’

LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement after joining a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general on a letter urging Congress to create stiffer penalties for criminals engaged in organized retail crime:

“Arkansas has been a leader on organized retail crime for the past two years, and I have made it a priority in my office. Last year I hired a full-time organized retail crime investigator, and before that I joined with Homeland Security Investigations and several neighboring states to form an Organized Retail Crime Alliance. We’ve already seen multiple busts and arrests as a result of our focused efforts.

“This legislation we are asking Congress to pass will help us in our local fight against organized retail crime. The more tools we have in bringing these criminals to justice, the more success we will have in keeping our communities, our roadways, and our places of business safe, and the more we can prevent crimes that pass on costs to consumers.”

Organized retail crime has contributed to financial losses totaling over $121 billion in the U.S., and 76 percent of retail asset protection managers report their employees have suffered from violence at the hands of an organized retail criminal. Cargo theft remains a primary component of organized retail crime nationwide – disrupting supply chains and acting as an inflationary pressure on the price of everything from baby formula to clothing.

During the 118th Congress, the House and Senate introduced H.R.895/S.140 – Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023 and S.139 – Organized Retail Crime Center Authorization Act of 2023. This legislation would provide the necessary resources at the state and federal level to bring the organizations and individuals behind this nationwide problem to justice. Now, the coalition is urging the 119th Congress to re-introduce this bill to include increased federal penalties for supply chain thefts to act as a strong deterrent against the organized theft of goods in transit.

The letter was co-led by attorneys general from Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, and South Carolina. In addition to Arkansas, joining them are the attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington, and West Virginia.

To read the letter, click here.