Organized retail crime; penalties.

A. A person who commits any of the following acts is guilty of organized retail crime: (1) acts in concert with one or more persons to steal merchandise with an aggregated retail market value of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) or more from one or more retailers over the span of one year with the intent to sell, exchange or return the merchandise for value; (2) acts in concert with one or more persons to receive, purchase or possess merchandise with an aggregated retail market value of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) or more over the span of one year, knowing or believing it to have been stolen; (3) acts as an agent of another individual or group of individuals to steal merchandise with an aggregated retail market value of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) or more from one or more retailers over the span of one year as part of an organized plan to commit theft; or (4) recruits, coordinates, organizes, supervises, directs, manages or finances another to undertake any of the acts described in this section or any other statute defining theft of merchandise. B. Venue shall be proper in any county in which merchandise is stolen. C. Whoever commits organized retail crime is guilty of a second degree felony. D. As used in this section: (1) "aggregated retail market value" means the total combined value of all merchandise involved at the price at which the merchandise would ordinarily be sold by the retailer with the legitimate sale or distribution of the item; and (2) "retailer" means a person or business that sells or facilitates the sale of merchandise to the public for use or consumption rather than for resale.