A petty theft at a Newport retail shop turned into the unraveling of a sprawling shoplifting operation stretching across multiple jurisdictions — thanks to sharp work by local detectives.
On May 26, 2025, two suspects brazenly walked out of Team One Newport on Thames Street with nearly $500 in stolen merchandise. Surveillance cameras caught the man and woman, riding off on a Suzuki motorcycle without paying a dime.
But Newport detectives weren’t about to let it slide.But Newport detectives weren’t about to let it slide.
Detectives Michael McCabe and Mark Lubin quickly went to work, using Flock camera technology and other tools to ID the culprits as Di J. “Dennis” DiPinto and Beverly DiPinto of Berkley, Massachusetts — a couple already familiar to law enforcement. Dennis had active warrants in both Cranston and Warwick for—you guessed it—shoplifting.
What began as a $471 theft spiraled into a major case. With support from the Berkley Police Department, Newport detectives secured arrest warrants and a search warrant for the suspects’ home.
On July 10, police from three agencies — including the Plymouth County Sheriff’s BCI and Bristol County K-9 Unit — descended on the DiPinto residence and found what they were looking for: more than $100,000 in stolen merchandise piled inside.
Both suspects were taken into custody without incident. Beverly was released on $10,000 surety bail. Dennis, a repeat offender, remains behind bars pending arraignment in Newport County, and is expected to be turned over to Cranston and Warwick authorities.
This wasn’t just shoplifting — it was systematic theft on a massive scale.
Newport Police praised the swift, coordinated effort between agencies that brought the pair down. Anyone with further information is asked to contact Detective McCabe at 401-845-5771.
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