Three Defendants Convicted in Organized Retail Theft Scheme Targeting Home Improvement Stores

PIMA COUNTY – Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced Micah Aaron Pierce, 35, Jesse Raul Henderson, 31, and Clint Anthony Anaya, 39, were convicted for operating a retail theft scheme where they stole $28,000 in ceiling fans from home improvement stores and resold them on Facebook Marketplace.
 
Beginning around June of 2020 and continuing through December of 2020, Pierce, Henderson, and Anaya stole over 70 ceiling fans from Home Depot and Lowes home improvement stores, valued at $28,000. The three co-defendants later trafficked the stolen fans on Facebook Marketplace, selling them at a significantly lower price than the purchase price. Store security officers identified Pierce and his Facebook account and referred the case to the Tucson Police Department. Investigators ultimately linked Pierce and his co-defendants to 28 individual thefts around Arizona, including stores in Pima, Maricopa, and Pinal Counties.
 
Pierce pled guilty one count each of Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, a class 2 felony offense, and Organized Retail Theft, a class 4 felony offense. On those counts, he faces a mandatory prison sentence in the Arizona Department of Corrections between 1.0 and 3.75 years. After his release, he faces up to 7.0 years of supervised probation.

While on release in this case, Pierce was caught swapping UPC labels on various products using a Walmart self-checkout line. He pled guilty to Unlawful Possession, Use or Alteration of Universal Code Label, a class 6 felony offense. He faces an additional term of probation or up to 2.0 years in prison. Pierce is scheduled to be sentenced for all convictions on April 14, 2022 i Pima County Superior Court.
 
Henderson pled guilty to one count each of Trafficking and Stolen Property and Organized Retail Theft, both class 4 felony offenses. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, 2022 in Pima County Superior Court and faces a minimum of 5.0 years and a maximum of 10.0 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections. After his release he faces up to 3.0 years of supervised probation. 
 
Anaya pled guilty to one count each of Trafficking in Stolen Property, a class 4 Felony, and Attempted Organized Retail Theft, a class 5 felony. He was sentenced to 0.5 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections on February 7, 2022. After his release from prison, he will serve 5.0 years of supervised probation.
 
Assistant Attorney General Julia Kaiserman prosecuted this case. The case was investigated by the Tucson Police Department.

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office recently launched an Organized Retail Crime Task Force with the support of the Arizona Legislature. The Task Force is one of the first such prosecutorial units in the country dedicated to combating crimes relating to stolen retail merchandise being resold or reentered into commerce.

Micah Aaron Pierce 
Micah Aaron Pierce

Jesse Raul Henderson
Jesse Raul Henderson


Clint Anthony Anaya
Clint Anthony Anaya