Marion Co. deputies arrest 31 in retail theft sting

The Marion County Jail has 31 new inmates Tuesday after deputies cracked down on a major crime trend.

Deputies say the arrests were part of a massive retail theft sting.    

The Marion County Sheriff's Office and the Ocala Police Department teamed up with several local retailers to investigate.  Deputies say over the course of two days last week, they arrested 31 people for stealing items from stores like Walmart, Target and Publix. 

Last year, Marion County deputies and Ocala Police busted a similar theft ring resulting in the arrest of 33 people.