AG Carr and DA Treadaway Announce New Indictment in Cherokee County Involving Multistate Organized Retail Crime Scheme

Defendants alleged to have obtained tens of thousands of dollars targeting T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods locations  

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr and Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway today announced a new indictment in Cherokee County charging six individuals who are alleged to have worked together to operate an organized retail crime scheme targeting T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods locations in Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and Mississippi. As asserted in the indictment, the defendants carried out this scheme by engaging in various acts of Shoplifting, Theft by Deception, Refund Fraud, and Money Laundering – allowing those involved to convert 100 percent of the value of stolen merchandise into U.S. currency totaling tens of thousands of dollars. 

“This is just one step in our ongoing efforts to protect Georgia businesses and consumers from the rising threats of organized retail crime,” said Attorney General Carr. “In Georgia, we won’t look the other way – criminals will be held accountable. We’re proud to be in this fight with District Attorney Susan Treadaway and all of our law enforcement partners, and we won’t rest until these criminal networks are stopped once and for all.” 

This case was investigated by the Attorney General's Organized Retail Crime Unit, the TJX Stores ORC National Task Force, and the Collierville (Tennessee) Police Department. The defendants were taken into custody with the assistance of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force. 

“Cherokee County has no tolerance for organized retail crime,” said District Attorney Treadaway. “We are thankful for the partnership with Attorney General Chris Carr and the work of his Organized Retail Crime Unit as we work together to combat organized retail crime in our community.” 

Georgia businesses are estimated to lose over $3 billion to retail theft annually, including $1.6 billion in stolen goods and $326 million in lost tax revenue, along with 17,000 lost jobs. To better protect Georgia businesses and consumers, Carr worked with Governor Brian Kemp and members of the General Assembly to create Georgia's first statewide Organized Retail Crime Unit just last year. In addition to this most recent indictment, Carr’s team is already working with several major retailers and law enforcement agencies to investigate cases throughout the state.  

“Defrauding businesses in our community is unacceptable,” said State Representative Brad Thomas, chairman of the House Special Committee on Resource Management. “I’m grateful to the Attorney General’s Organized Retail Crime Unit for holding these bad actors accountable. Georgia is the No. 1 state to do business for a reason. We will not tolerate this behavior."  

The Enterprise & Conspiracy 

The defendants in this case are listed below and, together, they are alleged to have formed the criminal enterprise at the center of this indictment. 

• Zachary Gaines, 19, of Rex 
• Rickey McKinney, 19, of Lithonia 
• Nakeyta McKinney, 49, Lithonia 
• Antonio Pearson, 18, of Rex 
• Javon Dorsey, 21, of Powder Springs 
• Travious Johnson, 20, of Jonesboro  

Each of the defendants has been charged with Conspiracy to Violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. As such: 

• The defendants are alleged to have unlawfully conspired to acquire and maintain U.S. currency and other retail property belonging to T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods stores through a pattern of Racketeering Activity; and 
• The defendants are alleged to have unlawfully conspired to conduct and participate in a criminal enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity. 

This includes allegations that the defendants – individually and as members of the enterprise – completed a scheme that involves:  

• Shoplifting various merchandise from T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods stores; 
• Returning those shoplifted items for merchant store credit (i.e. a gift card); 
• Repurchasing items with the gift card and a debit card;  
• Returning the purchased items for refunds to the debit card; and 
• Withdrawing the funds from the same debit card.

ORC Scheme 

As asserted in the indictment, the defendants operated an organized retail crime scheme – employing a five-step plan to defraud T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods stores between June 14, 2024, to Jan. 5, 2025.  

Step One: The defendants are alleged to have shoplifted several high-end items, such as kitchen appliances or bedsheets, from a T.J. Maxx or HomeGoods store. 

Step Two: The defendants are alleged to have traveled to a second T.J. Maxx or HomeGoods location to return those shoplifted items for store credit in the form of a gift card. As asserted in the indictment, the defendants completed this return using either a stolen I.D. card or that of another person. 

Step Three: The defendants are alleged to have traveled to a third T.J. Maxx or HomeGoods location, where they utilized the gift card and a debit card to purchase multiple items – often purses or perfumes. This process provides a receipt showing a debit card purchase. 

Step Four: The defendants are alleged to have traveled to several different T.J. Maxx or HomeGoods locations to return these most recently purchased items. To complete these returns, the defendants are alleged to have used the receipt showing a partial debit card purchase – allowing for the entire refund to be processed to the debit card account.  

Step Five: Once enough returns were processed, the defendants are alleged to have traveled to an ATM, where they used the debit card to withdraw the funds. 

Cherokee County Indictment  

The Attorney General's Organized Retail Crime Unit presented evidence to a Cherokee County Grand Jury on April 14, 2025, resulting in the indictment* of all six defendants. A full list of charges against each of the defendants is included below.  

Zachary Gaines: 

• 1 count of Conspiracy to Violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act 
• 1 count of Violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act 
• 1 count of Refund Fraud 
• 1 count of Theft by Deception

Rickey McKinney: 

• 1 count of Conspiracy to Violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act 
• 1 count of Violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act 

Nakeyta McKinney: 

• 1 count of Conspiracy to Violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act 
• 1 count of Violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act 

Antonio Pearson: 

• 1 count of Conspiracy to Violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act 
• 1 count of Violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act 

Javon Dorsey: 

• 1 count of Conspiracy to Violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act 
• 1 count of Violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act 

Travious Johnson: 

• 1 count of Conspiracy to Violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act 

A copy of the indictment can be found  here . No further information about the indictment or the investigation may be released at this time.  

*Members of the public should keep in mind that indictments contain only allegations against the individual against whom the indictment is sought. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and it will be the government’s burden at trial to prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the allegations contained in the indictment.