Already Caught, Can They Prosecute Me for Stealing in the Past (Before I Was Caught)

[Mchngn]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Virginia

I am a minor and I was caught for shoplifting at Nordstrom Rack. The total amount came to approximately $82.70
Since i was corporative, they did not call the police and I have no record. My parents came to pick me up and they signed some forms. One form had said that they can prosecute me if I have a second offense.
Now, my friend informed me that they had gone into previous tapes and saw that i shoplifted there a week before. Can they prosecute me now? Or will I only be prosecuted for a second offense after the date of the papers?
(My friend has a dad that works somewhere in the criminology department. That is how she found this out.) Please help.

[nowayman]

I use to work at nordstrom and by company policy, if you steal something and got pass the building's perimeter, we cannot by any mean prosecute you. So if they review the tape after you got caught and found out that you've stolen something a week before, they cannot use that to prosecute you. So second offense would be after your paper works with them. But this is in CA, so it might be different in Virginia. My advice would be to never steal again..ever..and stay away from nordstrom rack for a while, good luck.

[cyjeff]

I use to work at nordstrom and by company policy, if you steal something and got pass the building's perimeter, we cannot by any mean prosecute you. So if they review the tape after you got caught and found out that you've stolen something a week before, they cannot use that to prosecute you. So second offense would be after your paper works with them. But this is in CA, so it might be different in Virginia. My advice would be to never steal again..ever..and stay away from nordstrom rack for a while, good luck.

Many companies are reviewing their LP policies in the face of this economic downturn.

Legally, the store can file a police report up to a year after a theft. Usually, stores will not dig through old video to find random thieves.

However, in this case, since they are already reviewing the "tape" (since it is probably digital) and have found another incident where the OP can be positively id'ed, I believe it to be premature to say that the OP is safe from any additional charges.

There is no loophole in the theft laws that states "if you make it home with the stolen merchandise, the retailer cannot prosecute you". However, the retailer will have to provide the DA with proof of not only the theft but also the id of the thief.

Neither of us can say whether or not the evidence the retailer has in this case approaches that standard.