The Kansas Attorney General’s Office is highlighting a recent Lyon County arrest.
Attorney General Kris Kobach has announced formal charges against Demetrius Lamont Odom, a resident of Decader, Georgia, who was arrested Saturday morning on suspicion of identity theft, criminal use of a financial card and conspiracy to criminally use a financial card. According to Kobach, Odom allegedly stole from an unlisted number of liquor stores across Kansas, including four in Emporia: Carlos Liquor, Emporia Liquor & Wine, Liquor Locker and The Liquor Store. He’s officially charged with seven counts, four involving identity theft, two for criminal use of a card and one for conspiracy.
Odom, age 30, also has at least one co-defendant. Dwayne Rhoden was arrested in Kentucky on unrelated felony charges in July. Kobach says Rhoden is refusing to waive extradition, so authorities are seeking a governor’s warrant to move court proceedings to Kansas.
Kobach says the Odom case is notable because it marks the first organized retail crime prosecution by his office since a change in state law passed last year. Action by the Kansas Legislature lets prosecutors seek felony charges in retail crimes, including organized crime cases, instead of pursiing minor theft cases.
Odom’s preliminary hearing is Oct. 21.
