Dental hygiene hoodlum hunted by police

Police are looking for a man accused of stealing teeth whitening kits from stores all around Franklin County, Ohio. The Columbus City Attorney’s office says that in the last two months, Sean Patrick Burk has racked up six theft charges, three open cases, two guilty pleas and two arrest warrants.

The only targets of the thefts are boxes of Crest White Strips. The City Attorney’s Office has dubbed Burk the “Dental Hygiene Hoodlum.” “Serial thieves generally target certain items but it is unusual for us to see such brand loyalty where an offender only steals large quantities of a single product, over and over again,” said Columbus City Attorney Richard C. Pfeiffer, Jr.

On February 3, 2016, Burk is accused of stealing seven boxes of Crest White Strips valued at $420 from a Polaris area store. According to police, Burk fled with an accomplice in a beige-colored sedan. Burk allegedly returned to the same store the next day and stole 14 more boxes worth a total value of $610, according to the City Attorney’s office. Burk is also accused of stealing the white strips from stores in Grove City, Easton and an Ohio State area pharmacy.
“Mr Burk has stolen so many teeth whitening strips, he may be literally on his way to having a million-dollar smile,” said First Assistant City Prosecutor Bill R. Hedrick. “However, we believe it’s more likely he’s not using the white strips personally, but selling them on the black market to feed a drug habit.” The City Attorney’s office asks that anyone with information on Sean Patrick Burk contact them.