Organized Theft Ring Targets Kalamazoo County Strip Malls

*OSHTEMO TOWNSHIP, MI — Two Kalamazoo County strip malls have become the center of an organized effort to steal and resell candy bars to unsuspecting customers, according to law enforcement officials. The Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office is investigating 31 cases of children and parents selling stolen candy, said Michelle Greenlee*, Kalamazoo County undersheriff.

The thefts have prompted the Oshtemo Township Board of Trustees to pass an ordinance requiring sellers obtain a license from the township, which gives law enforcement more freedom to question the sellers. The ordinance was unanimously passed on March 24.

Some parents have been charged already and law enforcement is still awaiting charges from the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor's Office for the children involved, Greenlee said.

"Candy Boys" Running Rampant at Maple Hill Pavilion

The kids are targeting Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Target and Walgreens in the Maple Hill Pavilion at 5022 W. Main St., to allegedly steal the candy, according to James Porter, attorney for Oshtemo Township.

The thieves then cross West Main Street and sell the stolen candy outside Kohl's, Harding's Marketplace and Lowe's in the Westmain Shopping Center at 5125 W. Main St., Porter said.

Employees at Target have called law enforcement to report the "candy boys" are inside the store, Porter said. The pattern has become so regular that store employees are reporting the kids are being "aggressive or harassing," according to Greenlee.

"Target will call and say, 'the candy boys are here!' The stores are saying, 'please, for the love of God and all that's holy, will you put a stop to this? It's terrible,' they're losing a lot," Porter said during a recent township meeting.

Parents Driving Kids to Store Locations

Parents are helping the children by driving them to the various locations, Porter said. The kids are running inside the stores and taking the candy.

"Parents are driving kids to stores so they can run inside and take the candy. They then resell it," Porter explained.

The children can make up to $90 per box of the stolen candy, Porter said.

Law Enforcement's Hands Were Tied Until Ordinance Passed

Although officials were aware of the problem, local law enforcement's hands were tied until the new ordinance was approved. In order to take action, there would have to be probable cause to a violation of an ordinance or state law.

"And in this case, they weren't necessarily violating anything," Porter said, explaining why police couldn't intervene without the new ordinance.

In response, the township has approved ordinance amendments requiring "anyone selling goods outside commercial establishments to either be a registered charitable organization or hold a township-issued Hawkers and Peddlers license," according to the ArcWest Michigan news outlet.

New Ordinance Gives Police Clear Authority

The amendments are intended to give police clear authority to verify lawful sales and take action if necessary.

"What that will allow our officers to do is when they approach these youths to say, 'do you have a license? No. Is your organization registered? No. You are in violation of a local ordinance,'" said Porter, explaining how the new ordinance empowers law enforcement.

Officials noted that their goal is not to impede on any legitimate fundraising, but provide officers with another tool in the toolbox to deter criminal activity.

Organized Retail Fraud Under Investigation

Greenlee said charges of organized retail fraud are being considered, but could not provide more details on the specific charges or the status of the investigation.

The sheriff's office has received "quite a number of complaints" called in by department stores, prompted by customers reporting the kids are being "aggressive or harassing," Greenlee said.

Community Impact

The incident has become a serious concern for the Oshtemo Township community and local businesses. The organized nature of the thefts, with parents transporting children to specific stores to commit the thefts, has law enforcement officials concerned about the broader implications.

The 31 cases currently under investigation represent just the known instances of this scheme, according to officials. Law enforcement continues to work with store security and the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor's Office to build the case against those involved.

Sources

  • MLive: "Candy theft scheme: Police investigating 31 cases of parents, kids selling stolen sweets" — https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2026/04/candy-theft-scheme-police-investigating-31-cases-of-parents-kids-selling-stolen-sweets.html
  • ArcWest Michigan: "Unauthorized sales by 'candy boys' lead to updated ordinance in Oshtemo Township" — https://arcwestmichigan.com/news/local/candy-boys-updated-ordinance-township-kids-police-stores-selling-law-enforcement-profit-law-michigan-wwmt
  • WZZM13: "Parents, kids accused of selling stolen candy in Kalamazoo" — https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/local/parents-kids-candy-reselling-scheme-kalamazoo/69-feafd2ec-a955-4cc0-91ef-7d9772911756