This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA), to establish a unified federal response to organized retail crime, cargo theft, and the transport of counterfeit or stolen goods. Lawmakers voted 348-60 to approve the bill, which would expand criminal penalties and forfeitures for transporting or selling stolen or counterfeit goods.
The bill would see the Department of Homeland Security establish the Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within 90 days of enactment, Bloomberg reported. “It would be a branch of Homeland Security Investigations, itself a part of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” the outlet wrote.
Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) who originally introduced the bill along with several other members of Congress, said the CORCA would also:
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Strengthen legal tools for law enforcement by allowing criminal forfeitures for interstate shipment, transportation of stolen goods, or sale of stolen goods convictions.
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Expand money laundering statutes.
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Enable prosecution of organized retail and supply chain groups using interstate or foreign commerce to facilitate crimes.
“The House passage of CORCA is a major win for convenience retailers and the communities they serve. Our stores are open around the clock, and our employees often bear the human cost of the organized retail crime epidemic,” said Margaret Mannion, director of government relations for NACS. “These sophisticated criminal networks operate across state lines and require a coordinated federal response. We applaud the bipartisan House majority for taking this critical step and urge the Senate to follow suit.”