(SPRINGFIELD, Ohio) — A Cleveland-area man was sentenced today to nine years in prison for stealing more than $100,000 in merchandise from farm-supply stores in 10 counties, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson announced.
Byron Carner, 35, of South Euclid, pleaded guilty this morning to one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and eight counts of theft in Clark County Common Pleas Court. He was sentenced immediately after the plea.
“This is how you prosecute organized crime – by taking a unified approach to crimes that cross county lines,” Wilson said. “Organized retail theft affects everyone. Holding thieves accountable helps keep local stores open and stops theft from inflating prices.”
From June to October 2024, Carner stole more than $104,000 in merchandise, mostly tools, from Rural King stores and sold the items at pawn shops. The crimes took place in Belmont, Clark, Gallia, Greene, Huron, Jefferson, Knox, Medina, Sandusky and Union counties.
Carner and two suspected accomplices were arrested on Oct. 2, 2024, after a vehicle pursuit involving the St. Clairsville Police Department, Belmont County Sheriff’s Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Carner is currently serving a prison sentence stemming from another case. Cases against Carner’s suspected accomplices are pending in Clark County Common Pleas Court.
The German Township Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The Clark County Prosecutor’s Office prosecuted it, with Attorney General Andy Wilson serving as a special prosecutor.
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