A Modesto business owner is out on bail after leading a theft ring against other local businesses.
Gregory Lambert was arrested in late July on charges of possession of stolen property and conspiracy. Lambert owns the business California Card Shark in Modesto, a card shop that carries sports and gaming cards and collectible memorabilia.
Lambert was accused of hiring shoplifters to go into area businesses, steal specific items that he would then send pictures of back to the business in an attempt to have them buy back their stolen item at an agreed upon price. His favorite target, allegedly, was O'Brien's Market, a local grocer less than a mile from his own business that specialized in high-end wine.
Heather Graves with the Modesto Police Department said a suspect was arrested inside O'Brien's Market witrh wine in her purse. She later confessed that Lambert was responsible for the thefts. This arrest led the owner of the market to hire a private investigator to find out more about the man behind the theft operation. The private eye found more than half dozen people were involved in this theft ring, with Lambert requesting items from nearby stores such as Sports Authority, Trader Joe's and makeup from the Vintage Faire Mall.