House committee substitute makes the following changes to the 1st edition.

Amends GS 14-72.11 to require an offender to know or have reasonable grounds to believe that property is stolen for larceny against a merchant by exchanging that property for some other item of value to be considered a Class H felony. Replaces the current proposed Class H felony for persons who commit larceny against a merchant by returning stolen property while utilizing fictitious identification with a Class H felony for persons who commit larceny against a merchant by exchanging property, knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe the property is stolen, for cash, a gift card, a merchandise card, or some other item of value, and use fictitious identification to prevent the merchant from properly identifying the person seeking to exchange the property.

Amends GS 14-86.6 to add the requirement that a offender be leader of two or more other persons associated for the purpose of engaging in organized retail theft (was, acts of a leader of an organized retail theft enterprise) to be guilty of the proposed Class G felony for acting as a leader of such a group. Deletes the changes to the definition of organized retail theft enterprise in GS 14-86.5. Authorizes the aggregation of thefts occurring in more than one county in alleging a violation of this statute.