In the early morning hours of Jan. 2, three men allegedly burglarized an Exxon Food Mart on Shelby Drive in Collierville.

Two of the suspects sped away together with the headlights of the car turned off to evade the police. According to an affidavit, they crashed into a vehicle that was turning left onto Long Creek Road, which killed the passenger of the other car, a 72-year-old man, and critically injured that vehicle’s driver, the man’s wife. 

James Thomas, 43, was charged June 7 with vehicular homicide, reckless driving and other charges due to the crash. In total, however, Thomas and his two alleged accomplices — Deion Byrd, 25, and Stanley Rayner Jr., 20 — have racked up 55 other charges, most of them having to do with various aspects of retail theft. They were indicted on those charges June 22.

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The indictment states Thomas, Rayner and Byrd “operated and participated in a business burglary ring in which commercial businesses in Shelby County were broken into and merchandise was stolen and resold” between January 1, 2022, and May 1, 2023. The estimated value of those thefts totaled $250,000 or more. 

During its investigation, the Memphis Police Department realized the scope of crimes allegedly committed by the group.

Thomas, Byrd and Rayner are among 16 people who have been indicted on charges for their parts in an alleged organized theft ring. An additional 23 people have been arrested but not indicted. 

The indictments and arrests are the result of Operation Broken Bottles, a collaborative effort between the Memphis Police Department and the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office. The effort was announced June 26 as the number of business burglaries in Memphis rose to more than 1,100 for the year, up 34% from 819 at the same point in 2022.

“We launched Operation Broken Bottles to address the surge in brazen and ruthless burglaries targeting liquor stores, clothing outlets, cell-phone retailers and smoke shops throughout our city,” MPD Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis said during the June 26 press conference. “These crimes cause significant financial losses to local businesses and instill fear throughout our community.”

“We launched Operation Broken Bottles to address the surge in brazen and ruthless burglaries targeting liquor stores, clothing outlets, cell-phone retailers and smoke shops throughout our city. These crimes cause significant financial losses to local businesses and instill fear throughout our community.”

Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis

Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy said at a June 29 town hall meeting at Germantown City Hall that the DA’s office has worked closely with MPD to bring indictments against 15 “of the most serious leaders” of the organized theft operation.

”The ringleaders of this organization are now behind bars,” Mulroy said. “And there’ll be more indictments to come from that effort.”

Davis said the indicted individuals were part of a well-organized network led by a handful of people who recruited them to carry out these smash-and-grab crimes. 

In some cases, like the fatal car crash that occurred after the Exxon burglary in early January, smash-and-grab crimes can become violent. 

“Business burglaries may appear to be a nonviolent property crime,” assistant district attorney Forrest Edwards said. “However, the damage they cause affects more than just the bottom lines of business owners in our community.”

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Thomas is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on July 17 for the vehicular homicide charge. 

He was arraigned on his theft ring charges June 30 in Shelby County Criminal Court Division VII Judge Lee Coffee’s courtroom, where attorney Kenneth Brashier was appointed as his counsel. 

Shelby County Criminal Court Division V Judge Carlyn Addison, who stood in for Coffee, read off Thomas’ charges, including for burglaries he is charged with by himself and with other people.

A deeper dive into the indictments’ specifics

Incidents for which Thomas is charged by himself include:

• On Nov. 2, Thomas allegedly broke into a Marathon gas station and took between $10,000 and $60,000 in cash. He caused between $10,000 and $60,000 in damages to the doors and windows.
• On Nov. 11, Thomas allegedly broke into Spirits at Timber Creek and stole $2,500 to $10,000 worth of products. He caused $1,000 or less in damages to the window of the building.
• On Dec. 10, Thomas allegedly broke into Getwell Stop and Shop and took merchandise worth between $2,500 and $10,000. He caused between $2,500 and $10,000 damages to the doors and windows of the building.
• On Dec. 17, Thomas allegedly broke into a Food & Fuel Market and took between $10,000 and $60,000. He caused $2,500 to $10,000 in damage to the building’s doors and windows.

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Thomas is charged alongside Byrd and Rayner for three incidents at gas stations and a convenience store on Dec. 29:

• The three men allegedly broke into an Easy Mart on Highland Street and stole cigarettes valued between $10,000 and $60,000.
• Then they allegedly broke into ExxonMobil and took between $1,000 and $2,500 in tobacco products.
• Byrd and Thomas allegedly also broke into a BP gas station and stole merchandise valued between $2,500 and $10,000 and caused $2,500 to $10,000 in damage.

A month before, on Nov. 27, Byrd and Thomas allegedly broke in and stole between $1,000 and $2,500 from a Village Mart Clothing and Footwear.

The same day, they also allegedly stole between $10,000 and $60,000 in liquor from Whiskers Wine and Spirits, 1323 N. Germantown Parkway, and caused $10,000 to $60,000 in “destruction” to merchandise in the store. 

Byrd and Rayner are each accused in separate break-ins to businesses.

For Byrd:

• On Dec. 12, 2022, Byrd allegedly broke into Tokyo Grill and stole $1,000 or less in currency and caused less than $1,000 in damages to the windows.
• The same day, Byrd allegedly broke into an Exline’s Pizza and caused between $1,000 and $2,500 in damages to the windows. The indictment does not list any stolen items for this break-in.
• Also on the same day, Byrd allegedly broke into a Beauty Trendz and stole beauty products valued between $2,500 and $10,000.
• And again on Dec. 12, Byrd allegedly broke into Kirby Parkway Liquor and stole liquor valued between $2,500 and $10,000. He caused $1,000 or less in damage to the windows.
• The day before these last four break-ins, Byrd allegedly stole a vehicle valued between $10,000 and $60,000.
• Days before that, on Dec. 9, Byrd allegedly stole another person’s vehicle, which was worth between $10,000 and $60,000.

For Rayner:

• On Jan. 5, Rayner allegedly broke into a Hilltop Liquor and stole between $2,500 and $10,000 in merchandise. He caused between $2,500 and $10,000 in damages to the doors and windows.
• On Jan. 8, Rayner allegedly broke into Gene’s Stop & Shop Grocery and stole merchandise valued between $2,500 and $10,000. He caused between $1,000 and $2,500 in damages to the windows.
• Three more January incidents – on Jan. 11 at Leno’s Liquors, Jan. 21 at Discount Tobacco and Jan. 25 at Food & Fuel Market – Rayner allegedly stole between $2,500 and $10,000 worth of product and caused between $2,500 and $10,000 in damages.

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Another man, Montario Fifer, 19, was also indicted on more than 50 separate charges, including breaking into Alex’s Discount Liquor, 5939 E. Shelby Drive, between Feb. 12 and Feb. 15.

Other offenses Fifer is charged with include more than 40 vehicle break-ins and the theft of 10 firearms over the course of two months, June and July, in 2022.

Courtney Owens, 19, is indicted on more than 20 charges, which include burglary of a building, burglary of a motor vehicle and theft of a firearm less than $2,500:

• On March 7, Owens allegedly broke into Fox Meadows Liquors and stole liquor valued between $2,500 and $10,000 and caused between $2,500 and $10,000 in damages to the windows and doors.
• The same day, Owens allegedly broke into Rishi Chopra Liquor and stole liquor and money, both of which were valued between $10,000 and $60,000. He caused between $10,000 and $60,000 in damages to the windows and doors.
• Between March 3 and March 5, Owens allegedly broke into 11 vehicles and stole three firearms.

A copy of an indictment lists two charges — business burglary and theft of property $1,000-$2,500 — for Kamerin Triggs, 19, and Jaylin Triplett, 20.

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On June 18, 2022, the pair allegedly broke into a Family Dollar and took merchandise valued between $1,000 and $2,500.

The pair were listed alongside Donya Webb, 21; Carl Turner III, 25; and Samuel Childress, 31, in another indictment. 

On Aug. 5, 2022, the five individuals allegedly broke into Buster’s Liquors & Wines and stole alcohol valued between $10,000 and $60,000 and caused between $2,500 and $10,000 in damages to the windows. 

The group of five is indicted on charges of theft of property $10,000 or more, burglary of a building and vandalism over $25,000.

Triggs is also listed on an indictment by himself for a charge of theft of property $10,000 or more. He allegedly stole a person’s vehicle between Aug. 21, 2022 and Aug. 27, 2022.

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Jarren Crawford, 27, is indicted on charges of burglary of a building and theft of property $10,000 or more. 

An indictment alleges that Crawford broke into Hype 901 on April 14 and stole between $10,000 and $60,000 in shoes, clothing and currency. 

Copies of indictments for Lawrence Anthony and Jaylin Bonds were not provided. 

Since the June 26 announcement, another indicted individual has been identified.

Quintaurus Sims, 18, is indicted on charges of theft of property $10,000 or more and burglary of a building. He was arrested June 29 but posted a bond on his $75,000 bail the same day.

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Sometime between Aug. 31 and Sept. 3, 2022, Sims is accused of breaking into J & S Liquor Store, 1033 E. Brooks Road, and stealing liquor valued between $10,000 and $60,000.

Two indicted suspects have not been identified and are presently at large.

MPD to continue ‘deep dive’ into organized-crime rings

MPD Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis told The Daily Memphian in a recent interview that the span of the Operation Broken Bottles investigation is “much broader” and more indictments are expected.

“We plan to continue to take a deep dive into some of these more organized-crime-type rings that are attacking our business owners or retail establishments, and sometimes even breaking into vehicles that are organized crime as well,” Davis said.

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Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy told The Daily Memphian he believes there’s more than one theft ring, but they’re still investigating. 

On a June 28 taping of WKNO-TV’s “Behind the Headlines,” Mulroy said he didn’t want to reveal too much detail. 

“We expect more indictments to come, I mean, many more indictments to come,” he said. “And there are still people out there that we’re going to try to target with this operation.

“There’s different forms of surveillance, there’s video, you find cars and you can track the cars to individuals. You know, once you start getting a few people, then you can check their associates.”