GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Four additional people accused of orchestrating a string of shoplifting thefts at Home Depot and Target stores in three states were delivered from the Camden County, Georgia, Jail to Clay County to face charges in connection with the thefts.

Robert Thad Bryant, 40, and Kimberly Michelle Thompson, 46, both of Kingsland, Georgia, were identified as the ringleaders of an organized scheme to steal $86,083.44 from 72 different stores in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Bryant and Thompson were both charged with the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act after a two-year investigation by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

According to FDLE, Bryant and Thompson fooled store employees at self-checkout lanes into believing they were paying for items before leaving the stores.

Stores identified by FDLE were the Home Depots on County Road 220 on Fleming Island, Wells Road in Orange Park and Branan Field Road in Middleburg.

In addition to the RICO charge, Bryant was charged with 49 grand theft counts and seven petit thefts.

In the 35-page affidavit for an arrest report, FDLE investigator David Alexander, who originally investigated the thefts for CCSO, said six suspects were involved. Thompson was charged with violating the RICO Act because she had a “pattern of racketeering activity,” and she conspired to solicit, coerce or intimidate others to commit the crimes.

Mary Lyn Corwin, 50, of Kingsland, was charged with four grand thefts, and Christopher Neal Coats, 41, of St. Marys, Georgia, was booked on five grand theft counts and two petit thefts on Feb. 27.

Brian Lee Wallace, 31, of Kingsland, was returned from the Camden County Jail to Clay County on Feb. 22 to face eight counts of grand theft and one for petit theft.

According to the affidavit, Bryant and Thompson recruited Corwin, Coats and Wallace to participate in the stealing sprees. Alexander said the group is accused of stealing from stores in Clay, Columbia, Duval, Volusia, Alachua, Flagler, St. Johns and Nassau counties in 2022 between April 18 and Dec. 13.

Thompson and Bryant were identified as suspects in a $772.82 theft on May 31, 2022, from the Home Depot on Wells Road and a $1,186 theft from the Home Depot on Fleming Island. On June 17, Thompson and Bryant are accused of returning to the Wells Road Store and taking $906.39 worth of merchandise. The couple is also suspected of a $1,740.42 theft on July 21, 2022, at the Home Depot on Branan Field Road in Middleburg, at the Wells Road store on July 24 for $1,443.23 and the Home Depot on Fleming Island for 1,031.78 on July 25.

Thompson and Corwin are accused of a $776.19 theft on Sept. 30, 2022, at the Fleming Island Home Depot and Thompson and Coats were suspected of taking a total of $2,327.66 of merchandise on Dec. 12, 2022, in two incidents at the Fleming Island Home Depot.

The affidavit said the group often acted like they were paying at self-checkout lines without using legitimate forms of payment. Alexander wrote that the thieves sold the stolen items to prearranged buyers who provided a list of what they wanted or sold the merchandise on Facebook. A search of Facebook Messenger data revealed the items generally sold for less than half of their retail value.

Bryant told investigators he researched Home Depot policies and learned store employees aren’t allowed to intervene once the merchandise passes through the doors.

Bryant’s bond was set at $535,164. Thompson’s bond was $250,003, while Corwin’s is $35,012 and Coats’ is $60,019.