An undercover police sting in North Carolina resulted in nearly 80 arrests at Target and Walmart locations during the holiday season.
The Gastonia Police Department announced that officers arrested 78 alleged shoplifters on 154 total charges during “Operation Naughty List” from November 28 through December 19. In addition to misdemeanor and felony larceny charges, police also made arrests for possession of controlled substances, trespassing, and outstanding warrants.
“As part of this initiative, and as seen in the video, Street Crimes officers operated in an undercover capacity in plain clothes inside local retail stores, blending in with shoppers while working closely with store loss prevention professionals,” the department wrote on social media. “This coordinated approach allowed officers to identify theft in real time, target habitual offenders, and intervene before stolen merchandise left the store.”
Police said they recovered or prevented the theft of more than $4,300 during the operation. One suspect was charged with felony larceny involving $735. Narcotics seized during the sting included fentanyl, methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine, as well as drug paraphernalia.
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No other details, such as age or demographics, were known as of publication.
Social media users were divided, with some questioning the value of dedicating undercover officers to retail theft investigations. Target reported $106.6 billion in net sales for 2024, while Walmart reported $642.6 billion in net sales for its 2024 fiscal year.
“How much money got wasted to pay those cops to wander around Target and Walmart for three weeks?” one Reddit commenter asked. “How much wage theft happened during this time at both those companies, do you think? This was nothing more than security theater targeting the poor.”
Another added, “Wow. They stopped $4,800 in merchandise theft. Imagine if they put that much effort into stopping corporate wage theft.”
The Council on Criminal Justice reported in November 2023 that shoplifting incidents were 16% higher in the first half of 2023 than during the same period in 2019. In September 2025, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said retail theft declined 12% in New York City and 5% statewide.
Police said they recovered or prevented the theft of $4,342.85 in retail merchandise, including one felony larceny valued at $735. https://t.co/A5OZVVm4gL
— WBTV News (@WBTV_News) December 31, 2025
Retailers have also made operational changes in recent years, including locking certain items behind cases that require employee assistance. Stores with self-checkout lanes often assign employees to monitor customers to deter theft. As a result, some chain locations do not open their self-checkout lanes when the store itself opens.
“We have seen states and communities step up against organized retail crime,” David Johnston, vice president of asset protection and retail operations for the National Retail Federation, told CNN in 2025. “There has been progress made at local, state and federal level.”
“Operation Naughty List” was not the only holiday-themed sting operation in recent weeks. The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit in New Jersey arrested 12 men, ranging in age from 23 to 65, during “Operation Bad Santa” from December 8 through December 15. Authorities said the suspects included a middle school teacher and a youth program coordinator.
