State Police Arrest Wilmington Man Following Organized Retail Theft Investigation

Date Posted: Monday, June 29th, 2026

The Delaware State Police arrested 65-year-old Eric Tillman, of Wilmington, Delaware, following a months-long organized retail theft investigation involving multiple businesses throughout New Castle County.

In March 2026, the Delaware State Police Criminal Investigations Unit received information that Tillman was recruiting individuals struggling with drug addiction to steal merchandise from retail stores in exchange for a fraction of the items’ retail value. During the investigation, detectives determined Tillman targeted numerous retailers throughout New Castle County, including, but not limited to, Giant, Walgreens, CVS, Target, and the Kenny Family ShopRite stores.

With assistance from the New Jersey State Police Troop “A” Criminal Investigation Office and loss prevention personnel from the affected retailers, detectives learned Tillman transported the stolen merchandise to a storage unit in New Jersey before reselling the items at multiple flea markets throughout the state.

On June 8, 2026, detectives located Tillman in Wilmington and took him into custody without incident. Following his arrest, detectives executed search warrants at his Wilmington residence, a storage unit in New Jersey, and two vehicles. During the searches, detectives recovered approximately 4,317 items of suspected stolen merchandise with an estimated retail value of $70,292.36.

Tillman was taken to Troop 2 where he was charged with the below listed offenses, arraigned by the Justice of the Peace Court, and released on a $8,000 unsecured bond.

• Theft – Organized Retail Crime (Felony)
• Receiving Stolen Property (Felony)
• Conspiracy Second Degree (Felony)

Disclaimer: Any individual charged in this release is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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