Eau Claire, WI – Three suspects accused of involvement in a multi-state retail theft ring totaling more than $150,000 have been taken into custody following a coordinated effort between multiple Wisconsin law enforcement agencies.
According to the Eau Claire Police Department (ECPD), officers first responded to a theft report November 6 at Scheels All Sports in Oakwood Mall. Loss prevention staff recognized a suspect connected to an earlier $3,500 theft involving a fish finder. Additional reports linked the same suspects to another theft that day at Ulta Beauty.
The suspects were identified as Kenneth Machen, 21, Roberta Howard, 19, and Leslie Robinson, 64, all of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Investigators determined the group was responsible for numerous thefts across Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Later that evening, a Dunn County Sheriff’s Deputy spotted the suspects’ vehicle traveling westbound on I-94 near the St. Croix County line. Working with the Wisconsin State Patrol, Baldwin Police, and St. Croix County deputies, officers safely stopped the vehicle and took the suspects into custody at Exit 19.
Authorities credit strong collaboration and a national theft tracking database for linking the suspects to multiple crimes across the Midwest. Formal charges are pending in several jurisdictions.
