ATLANTA GA JUNE 18 2009
RETAIL/SHOPLIFTING NEWS
Lenoir County NC
Julie Kaye Tacinelli, 26, 125 Rockwood Drive, Kinston, May 27, misdemeanor shoplifting. Bond: Written promise. Arresting officer: K. Dunham.
Amy Sandlin, 31, 3331 Anita Drive, La Grange, May 27, misdemeanor shoplifting. Bond: Written promise. Arresting officer: K. Dunham.
Taunton MA
Devon Byrd, 41, 91 Summer St., was arrested for shoplifting in Sears.
Vineland NJ
Police issued a shoplifting charge for Montoya Key for an incident at Save-A-Lot in the 700 block of North 2nd Street. Key, 32, lives in Bridgeton. A store employee in court for another matter recognized Key, who was appearing on another matter.
Michael Jesse Roberts, 40, of East Mulberry Street, was arrested Wednesday at Walmart on a shoplifting charge. He also was charged with hindering. He was taken to Cumberland County Jail on unrelated warrants from Merchantville Borough ($2,149) and Camden ($500, $150). He also was sought on a Vineland warrant for shoplifting and a Franklin Township warrant for hindering.
MIRAMAR FL
A 66-year-old employee at Wal-Mart, 1800 S. University Dr., was checking receipts at the door when a man walked past the registers without paying about 10:20 p.m. May 11. The employee asked him for a receipt and the man showed him a receipt from earlier in the day. When the employee found it ‘’suspicious” and tried to detain the customer, the man hit him with the cart knocking him to the ground. The shoplifter ran into the parking lot with another man and they left in a blue car with dark tint. The surveillance video showed one of the items was a boxed car seat and the other items could not be identified.
FRAMINGHAM MA – A Worcester man faces shoplifting charges after a Friday night arrest, police said.
Joseph Wilson, 21, of 26 Timrod Drive was arrested after police said he stole more than $100 worth of merchandise from Marshalls.
Gastonia NC
A Gastonia man accused of shoplifting faces an additional charge of identity theft after he allegedly gave police another man’s name and birthdate Friday.
Francisco Javier Lopez, 23, of 1639 Greenview Drive, pocketed a Bluetooth wireless earpiece inside Target on New Hope Drive, according to a magistrate’s order affidavit. He also allegedly tried to break open a camcorder box, but placed it back on a store shelf after failing to open the packaging. The Bluetooth kit is sold for $69.69, the affidavit states.
Lopez gave Gastonia Police Officer J. Alfonso another man’s name and date of birth inside the store, Alfonso wrote in the affidavit. He provided his correct name when taken to the Gaston County Jail.
Lopez was charged with shoplifting-concealment of goods, injury to personal property and identity theft. He was jailed under a $2,500 secured bond.
MANATEE COUNTY Fla – At first, it seemed that a man who set fire to racks of clothes at a Manatee County Wal-Mart store Thursday was just an angry customer who had been refused a refund at the service desk.
But later, Manatee investigators learned the man was was actually trying to return stolen merchandise from what may be an organized shoplifting ring.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” said sheriff’s spokesman Dave Bristow. “He went in there, stole their stuff, then comes right back in and goes to customer service and tries to exchange what he just stole and then gets upset over that.”
Damage to merchandise and loss of sales at the Wal-Mart at State Road 70 and U.S. 301 could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, Wal-Mart officials said Friday.
After the fire in the men’s department, the Wal-Mart was closed for 11 hours. No one was injured in the fire.
Deputies say the fire was started around 4 p.m. Thursday; the man who set the blaze escaped.
About two hours later, Manatee deputies arrested Phillip R. Wright, 41, of Monroe, Louisiana at a Wal-Mart on Lockwood Ridge Road and University Parkway where he was again trying to return the same items he tried to return earlier.
Wright has been charged with first-degree arson and retail theft as well as possession of crack cocaine after deputies found drugs on him, arrest reports said.
Deputies also arrested Chester Hayes, Jr., 49, of West Monroe, La., on charges of retail theft. Police say Hayes acted as an accomplice, waiting outside the store in a car and staying in contact with Wright by two-way radio.
According to Wal-Mart security, Wright walked around the State Road 70 Wal-Mart store with a cart picking up soda bottles, some water filters and accessories.
He picked a baseball cap and put it on his head.
He then bagged the items in a Wal-Mart plastic bag and left the store without paying.
He returned about 10 minutes later and tried to get a refund for the items valued at around $250.
Staff refused because he did not have a receipt. Wright threatened them before heading to the menswear department.
Surveillance video shows Wright bending down for a few seconds beneath three clothes racks in the men’s department, said Wal-Mart security guard Christopher Foy.
“I observed him crouched down on all three racks that caught on fire,” Foy said.
“The flames were anywhere from 15 to 20 feet. It was quickly contained; the associates acted very well,” he said.
Foy called nearby Wal-Mart stores with a description of the man and the items he was trying to refund.
He soon received a call from the Wal-Mart store on Lockwood Ridge saying they had a customer waiting in line at the customer service desk matching the description.
Foy called deputies and Wright was arrested while still waiting in line.
Bristow said the use of an accomplice and two-way radios suggested an organized operation.
“That tells us they’re maybe not first-timers doing this,” said Bristow.
“The fact he’s out-of-state tells us maybe he’s been been doing in other areas.”
Wal-Mart officials would not say exactly how much damage the fire caused, but said they lost sales when the store was closed from 4 p.m. Thursday until 3 a.m. Friday.
“We have loss of sales; we have clothing that we have to take into account we had to change out all the air filters in the conditioning units,” said Dana Cox, store co-manager.
JACKSONVILLE, FL — The surveillance system at a local department store did its job Wednesday.
A loss prevention officer at the Kohl’s store in Mandarin says he saw two people take things into the dressing room and emerge in a suspicious way.
By the time police got there, they knew the car they were looking for, and somebody was inside. He was detained by officers, who then waited for the two suspects to leave the store.
Melissia Ann McDonald, 19, came out first. The loss prevention officer in the store had seen her go into a dressing room with two GPS units. He says she came out of the dressing room, put the boxes under some clothes in a shopping cart, and left the store.
Police were waiting for her as she got to the car. They found the GPS units under her clothes, and some new shoes on her feet. She had not paid for any of the items.
She told police she stole all of the items to sell on the street.
Keven Smith, 27, came out next. The loss prevention officer had watched him follow a similar pattern, taking something into the dressing room and covering up the box upon his exit.
As he was walking toward the car, he saw the police officer. The officer didn’t find anything on Smith, but walked back to the spot from which Smith had spotted him, and found a digital camera.
The serial number on the camera matched the serial number on a box found under a pile of clothes in a shopping cart.
He says he didn’t go into the store with McDonald because he knows she’s a thief.
While the first person police found in the car was released, police arrested McDonald and Smith.
Kennesaw GA
The wife of a Kennesaw city councilman is facing shoplifting charges after she allegedly took more than $300 worth of merchandise from an Acworth department store.
Sandre Killingsworth, wife of Councilman Tim Killingsworth, was charged May 29 with one felony charge of shoplifting, according to the Marietta Daily Journal. She was released on $2,500 bond, according to the Cobb Sheriff’s Office
Killingsworth allegedly stole one pair of pants, a shirt, one dress and several swimwear items from the Kohl’s department store on Cobb Parkway, the Journal said.
“When all the facts in this case are discovered, we believe they will certainly clear up any confusion,” Tim Killingsworth told the Journal.
Utica, N.Y.
Two Dolgeville residents are facing charges for allegedly stealing food from the Price Chopper Supermarket in North Utica.
According to Utica police, Jeffrey Winters, 52, and Pamela Van Slyke, 48, both of Howard Street, Dolgeville, entered the store on May 1 and were seen on the video surveillance system loading a grocery cart full of food items and leaving the store without paying for it.
According to police, Winters, who was charged with petit larceny, sixth-degree conspiracy and trespassing, was arrested previously for shoplifting at Price Chopper and was warned not to return to any Price Chopper store.
Van Slyke was charged with petit larceny and sixth-degree conspiracy.
Somers Point NJ
Angela Nicole Espey, 32, of Absecon was arrested May 27 by Ptl. Nelson Denan and charged with shoplifting from Kmart.
Richard Michael Bolitski, 37, of Somers Point was arrested May 27 by Sgt. Anthony C. DiSciascio and charged with shoplifting from Kmart.
Alexander Almonte-Gonzalez, 32, of Pleasantville was arrested May 29 by Ptl. Scott Handson and charged with shoplifting from Kmart.
Kimberly Anne Plasket, 37, of Somers Point was arrested May 29 by Ptl. Richard Dill and charged with shoplifting from Kmart.
Jessica Arlene Flores, 32, of Northfield was arrested May 29 by Ptl. Richard Dill and charged with shoplifting from Kmart.
E Dundee IL
An assistant manager at Walmart in East Dundee tried to outwit the store’s video surveillance system but was caught trying to steal $1,500 from the store, according to police.
Jacqueline E. Vanovermeiren, 55, of the 4900 block of Butterfield Road in Hillside, was arrested and charged with felony theft, which typically carries a sentence of two to five years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines.
Police say Vanovermeiren took $4,000 from the store’s safe and used $2,500 of the cash to replenish the store’s ATM. She then returned the remaining money to the safe, turned off the video camera in the safe room, removed the $1,500 and turned the camera back on, according to police.
Vanovermeiren gave a written statement to police admitting the theft, police said. East Dundee Police Chief Terry Mee said his department learned of the theft when it was contacted by Walmart security.
Vanovermeiren asked to be represented by a public defender at a Wednesday morning bond hearing.
She will have to post $1,500 to be released. Vanovermeiren told a judge she would be able to post bond by the end of the day Wednesday.
Her next court date is set for June 16 at the Kane County courthouse.
Vernon Hills IL
Three female suspects were arrested for shoplifting on May 23 at the GAP, 818 Hawthorn Center. Tyeisha L. Henley, 21, of 1010 W. 51st, #1, Chicago, was charged with retail theft and possession of stolen property; Laporsha Holloway, 21, of 6651 S. Clairmont, Chicago, was charged with retail theft, possession of stolen property, obstructing, and unlawful possession of theft detection device remover; and Mary McNair, 28, of 6603 S. Campbell, Chicago, was charged with retail theft. No court date information was available on the three suspects.
Maria A. Gutierrez, 45, of 204 E. Wildwood, Round Lake, was charged May 24 with retail theft at Carson Pirie Scott, 3 Hawthorn Center. She reportedly left the store without paying for $65 worth of accessories. She was released after posting $100 cash bond and awaits a June 10 court date in Waukegan.
Two female suspects were arrested May 25 on shoplifting charges at JC Penney, 4 Hawthorn Center. Charged with retail theft and possession of stolen property were Katerina Mandryk, 44, and Yevgena Polyulyak, 46, both of 8632 N. Nordica, Chicago. Reports say the female suspects left the store without paying for $374 worth of clothing, and the suspects were also found in possession of $1,359.50 worth of clothing taken from other area department stores. No court date information was available.
Katherine Chelcun, 20, of 442 Sommerset, Grayslake, was charged May 26 with retail theft and possession of stolen property at JC Penney, 4 Hawthorn Center. Reports say the female suspect left store without paying for $134 worth of clothing and jewelry and was also found in possession of property that was stolen from Macy’s. She was released on $75 cash bond pending a June 15 court date in Mundelein.
PORTLAND, Ore. – Starting in approximately January, 2007, investigators with Macy’s started to note a loss of inventory in several specialty items. Investigators started to monitor these items and monitor eBay sites advertising these specialty items.
The sleuths say they were able to determine that large amounts of merchandise – similar to the merchandise being stolen from their stores – was being sold on eBay by a subject identified only as Louise Corbin.
During Macy’s investigation, they report being able to observe an adult female subject stealing several high end clothing items on several occasions, but where unable to make an arrest.
At least once, they were even able to see the suspect getting into a vehicle via surveillance cameras and were able to obtain a license plate. This was later used to help determine that the vehicle was registered to suspect Corbin.
In September 2007, Corbin was arrested at a Nordstrom Store in Portland, for shoplifting over $1,000.00 in high-end clothing items. She has since been found guilty of that theft.
Investigators say the arrest of Corbin at Nordstrom did not stop her from stealing. She reportedly continued to steal high-end merchandise at Macy’s. In October, 2008, Corbin was arrested for shoplifting at the Clackamas, Macy’s store.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office became involved in the investigation and began working closely with investigators with Macy’s and Nordstrom. As a result, the Sheriff’s Office was able to obtain a search warrant for Corbin’s residence, in West Linn. During the execution of this search warrant, hundreds of suspected stolen clothing, accessories and jewelry items were seized as evidence.
Additional evidence seized included information that Corbin was selling stolen items on eBay under a business she called ‘Fifi’s Boutique’. Corbin was conducting her business out of her home in West Linn.
It is suspected that Corbin is responsible for over $150,000 loss to Macy’s and Nordstrom over the past year-and-a-half. All indications are that Corbin worked alone during this criminal activity.
The case was presented to the Clackamas County Grand Jury in May 2008, and an indictment for Louise Corbin was returned. She is charged with 17 counts of first-degree Theft, 3 counts of first-degree Theft by Receiving, 13 counts of Computer Crime,and one count of second-degree Theft.
An arrest warrant was issued Tuesday, 06-02-09, for Louise Marie Corbin; age 62. Corbin was arrested by Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office investigators on the newly issued warrants at her home on Woodsprite Court, in West Linn. She was lodged on the existing warrants today, with a total bail amount set at $100,000.
Louise Marie Corbin is scheduled for arraignment on these charges today, Tuesday, June 02, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. in the Clackamas County Circuit, in Oregon City.
It is also reported that Corbin was found guilty in 2008 in Multnomah County for shoplifting from Nordstrom (Theft I) and was placed on misdemeanor probation for that conviction.
Somers Point NJ
Tanha Patel, 18, of Somers Point was arrested June 9 by Ptl. Michael Price and charged with shoplifting from Kmart.
Nicholas Henry Chickadel, 31, of Ocean City was arrested June 9 by Ptl. Richard Dill and charged with shoplifting from Wawa and possession of a hypodermic needle.
Linda Jeanne Vassallo, 49, of Margate was arrested June 12 by Ptl. Richard Huenke Jr. and charged with shoplifting from Kmart.
Richard David Driscoll, 47, of Waretown was arrested June 14 by Ptl. Nicholas Wagner and charged with shoplifting from Boston Market.
SPRINGFIELD OH — A local woman was arrested after fleeing the scene where she was allegedly shoplifting, then later contacting deputies to get her purse back.
Jaimie L. Dowler, 20, of 401 N. Western Ave., was arrested on a charge of theft Sunday, June 14, according to a sheriff’s report.
Dowler allegedly put some makeup and perfume in her purse while shopping at a store in the 2700 block of East Main Street around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the report.
An employee stopped Dowler as she attempted to leave, and she said she had to go out to the parking lot to tell her mother she was in trouble and the employee kept her purse, according to the report.
The employee kept Dowler’s purse and later turned it over to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
Dowler contacted the sheriff’s office and asked for her purse back because her keys were in it, according to the report.
When Dowler arrived at the sheriff’s office to get her purse, she was taken into custody, according to the report.
She was ordered into court.
NASHUA NH – A Manchester resident faces a felony charge for allegedly shoplifting from a store in Nashua.
Richard Noel, 43, of 10 Dunton St., Manchester, was being charged with theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, Class B felony, police said.
At 5:46 p.m. Saturday, police responded to J.C. Penney, at 310 Daniel Webster Highway, for the report of a shoplifter in custody.
The store’s loss prevention personnel told police that they had stopped Noel after he left the store without paying for several dresses, police said. Noel was arrested on scene without incident.
A criminal records check revealed the Noel had several prior theft-related convictions, making this shoplifting incident a Class B felony.
A Class B felony is punishable by up to seven years in prison plus fines.
Noel was released on $2,500 personal recognizance bail, pending arraignment at the Nashua District Court on June 23.
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