More than 50 arrested in Lexington shoplifting crackdown

As holiday shopping ramps up, a crack down on shoplifting in Lexington led to dozens of arrests last week and the recovery of more than $8,000 in stolen merchandise. 

The investigation, dubbed “Operation Fa La La Larceny,” led to criminal charges against 53 people, 47 arrests and 10 criminal citations, according to the police department. Stolen property including jewelry, clothing, handbags and alcohol worth a total of $8,267 was also recovered. 

In addition to shoplifting, some arrested as part of the investigation are facing charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of burglary tools and theft by deception, according to police. 

The investigation was a joint effort by the Lexington Police Department and the Kentucky Organized Retail Crime Association. 

This story was originally published December 10, 2018 at 3:53 PM.