When You Steal Something and Get Away with It, is It Safe to Assume You're Safe

[chriss]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Maryland

When you steal something and get away with it (as in get home safely), is it safe to assume you're safe?
Has anyone ever got caught stealing something from Nordstrom after you left the store and thought you were safe at home? Can stores like Nordstrom or Bloomingdales track you down from a purchase you made and catch you for stealing?

[cyjeff]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Maryland

When you steal something and get away with it (as in get home safely), is it safe to assume you're safe?
Has anyone ever got caught stealing something from Nordstrom after you left the store and thought you were safe at home? Can stores like Nordstrom or Bloomingdales track you down from a purchase you made and catch you for stealing?

Absolutely.

Can they? Yes.

Will they? We can't tell you.

[chriss]

Companies like Nordstrom seem very lenient when they catch someone stealing. Do you think they would go through the trouble to catch someone who has already committed the crime and left the premises? There was no tag on the item and I really don't know why I did it. I'm really stupid and am scared I'm going to get caught. I promised myself I would never do it again.

Thanks for the quick reply.

Is it safer to just go in and confess to stealing it? Would they press charges if I did that? I am going insane ...

[cyjeff]

Companies like Nordstrom seem very lenient when they catch someone stealing. Do you think they would go through the trouble to catch someone who has already committed the crime and left the premises? There was no tag on the item and I really don't know why I did it. I'm really stupid and am scared I'm going to get caught. I promised myself I would never do it again.

Thanks for the quick reply.

Is it safer to just go in and confess to stealing it? Would they press charges if I did that? I am going insane ...

Shoplifting costs retailers in the neighborhood of $15 billion - with a B - a year... no one is lenient about that in today's economy.

Everything depends on what you left behind that identifies you.

If you go back, you definitely get caught.