RALEIGH — Police have charged two men, including a West Raleigh shop owner, with being involved in an organized retail theft ring that stole thousands of dollars of goods over a six-month period.

Raleigh police arrested Jeffrey W. Pylant, 47, of Raleigh and James Glen Hicks, Jr., 56, of Zebulon.

Pylant was taken into custody at the Wake County Jail June 20 and charged with felony larceny and organized retail theft, a spokesman with the Wake County Jail reported Friday. He was released from custody after posting an $11,000 bond, the spokesman reported.

Police arrested Hicks on Tuesday and charged him with felony obtaining property by false pretenses, possession of stolen goods and organized retail theft, Laura Hourigan, a Raleigh police spokeswoman, reported. Jail information for Hicks was unavailable Friday afternoon.

Raleigh investigators began to focus on the two men after they were able to link at least 10 cases in Raleigh and Cary where there were a large number of thefts at various grocery stores and similar locations over a six month period, according to a search warrant filed Friday at the Wake County Clerk of Courts Office.

Raleigh J.A. DeHaan and Officer S.P. Womack found that thieves were selling the stolen products to Hicks, the owner of the South Raleigh Jewelry and Loan store at 3231-103 Avent Ferry Road, according to the search warrant application.

When police arrested Pylant last week, he told the officers that he was selling the property to Hicks, DeHaan stated in the court affidavit.

Police obtained a search warrant and searched Hicks’ store on Tuesday. The officers seized more than 150 packages of Nicorette smoking cessation products, along with bulk quantities of over the counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, Rogaine products, shaving products, tooth brighteners and other dental products, envelopes, tape rolls, box labels, batteries and power charges. The inventory of seized products had an estimated worth of $40,000, Hourigan, the police spokeswoman reported.

News researcher Peggy Neal contributed to this report.

McDonald: (919) 829-4533