POLK COUNTY, Fla. -- The Polk County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday that they had served five search warrants and arrested 18 people in connection with a major shoplifting ring based out of Longwood, Florida. Initial estimates from the Polk County Sheriff's Office said the ring had stolen between $60 million and $100 million over the past five years. The stores they were stealing from ranged from Publix supermarkets to Target stores.

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SLIDESHOW: Images Of The 18 Suspects Arrested
VIDEO: Deputies Raid The Home Of Suspected Shoplifting Masterminds In Lake Mary
PRESS CONFERENCE: Sheriff: Theft Ring Stole Between $60 and $100 Million In Merchandise
IMAGE: Operation 'Beauty Stop' Chain Of Command
RAW VIDEO: Theft Ring Thieves Stealing From Supermarket
PRESS RELEASE: Theft Ring Busted, Millions In Property Stolen

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Steven and Kerry Coburn are expected to make a first appearance in front of a judge, Friday, charged with operating a theft ring that stretched across 12 counties in Central Florida.

Authorities searched the couple's Lake Mary house Thursday night after a raid at their business in Longwood. Investigators removed boxes and boxes of evidence from the Coburn's warehouse in Longwood hours after they arrested the couple accused of masterminding a multi-million dollar theft ring that involved at least 16 other suspects across Central Florida.

Detectives said thousands of cosmetics and over the counter drugs were stolen from retailers like Publix, Wal-Mart and Target stores. Investigators said surveillance video showed paid thieves known as 'boosters' stealing the merchandise the Coburns and their accomplices wanted.

The items were then resold at local flea markets and on the internet for pure profit.

"They operated also through the internet on a website called Saleawaysavings.com," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.

Each of the people arrested were being charged with one count of Felony Racketeering which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and one count of Felony Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Some of the people arrested were already in jail for committing other crimes.

"Today, our task force brought to justice the retail theft rings uncovered in the state of Florida and perhaps the nation," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. "What started as a simple shop lifting investigation turned into the discovery of a far flung criminal conspiracy that counted on common street criminals to steal millions of dollars of merchandise to supply other criminals selling on the Internet and in flea markets. Because of our talented investigators and team work with multiple agencies, these thieves and criminal resellers will be going away to prison for a long, long time."

Initial estimates from the Polk County Sheriff's Office said the ring had stolen between $60 million and $100 million over the past five years. The stores they were stealing from ranged from Publix supermarkets to Target stores.

Investigators said the thieves would take about three minutes in each store they would hit and get away with an estimated $4,000 worth of products.

"The thieves would ideally work in pairs and in less than three minutes could walk out with as much as $4,000 in merchandise," Judd said. "They were so good that you could watch them steal and not be aware of what they were doing."

Judd said the thieves would use specially made bags and purses, possibly with hidden compartments, to conceal the stolen goods. They would take large quantities of items and would map out the stores they would hit so that they didn't hit any one store too often.

"We have one clip where a supermarket supervisor walked down the isle past them while they were stealing. It's not that he wasn't paying attention. It's that they were just that good at doing what they were doing," Judd added.

Initially, Polk County investigators arrested two people in July of 2007 for shoplifting, Rita Maddox and Elisha Cordle. Investigators thought the two might have been connected with a larger theft ring. Their suspicions were correct.

Of the 18 arrests made, many of the suspects had violent criminal histories. One example Sheriff Judd made was of a suspect that tried to run over six Publix associates in a parking lot as they were trying to stop her from leaving the store in Sarasota.