![]() The level 2 fence is the middleman between boosters and wholesalers. Some may rent several storage units and spread their product between them to minimize their losses if they do happen to be raided by law enforcement. Storage units are appealing because they can be rented cheaply and easily, making it simple to evade detection by switching locations frequently. They typically operate out of a residential house, a warehouse, or a storage unit. Then they repackage the product for distribution. Level 2 fences clean the product, removing stickers, security devices, or other markings that could identify which retailer the product had been stolen from. ![]() They buy from level 2 and 3 boosters, or in some cases from level 1 fences. The primary function of the level 2 fence is to repackage stolen product and sell it to the level 3 fence-the diverter. While most of the product a level 1 fence buys goes straight back to the consumer, they may move product daily or weekly to a higher-level, or level 2 fence. They sometimes recruit and train boosters, and they may buy product from level 1, 2, or 3 boosters. They often appear to be legitimate businesses-they might be a local corner market, a swap shop, or a booth at a flea market. The level 1 fence is directly reselling product to consumers. In comparison, the level 3 booster is a team of coordinated criminals who operate nationally and may sell their product directly to diverters. ![]() When a booster begins to travel to nearby cities to steal, when they increase their sophistication and volume, often teaming up with a partner or a group, they can be considered level 2 boosters-regional players. It’s not uncommon for drug addicts to fall into this category, stealing just enough for them to get by for the day. They might steal things from their neighborhood CVS and walk right across the street to Mom and Pop’s Market to sell them. If they live in Phoenix, they might never leave Phoenix to steal. The level 1 booster is someone who steals relatively small amounts, works alone, and operates locally. So for ease of discussion, they can be categorized into a hierarchy of three tiers. As these actors deal with increasing volumes of stolen goods, the geographic area in which they operate tends to increase, as does the sophistication of their organized retail crime methods. Boosters-the people who steal products intending to resell them-and fences-the buyers of stolen goods-vary enormously when it comes to the scale of their operations. The easiest way to understand exactly what diverters are and how they operate is to take a close look at the ORC ecosystem that they’re a part of. Organized Retail Crime Methods: The Booster-Fence Ecosystem
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