Can I Still Be Charged with Shoplifting After the Fact

My question involves criminal law for the state of: NEW JERSEY

okay about a year ago i started stealing.i was starting to become addicted and it was hard to controltho i know it was bad i couldn't help myself.in march i got caught in khols and was banned for life but after a year i can write a letter to corproate and ask to be let back in.since i have been caught i refuse to go to the places i've previously stolen from accept target&walmart. in the state of new jersey what are the restrictions of being charged after the fact? what are the chances the mall stores are going to catch me? or have me on camera? most of it occured in the dressing room&its illegal to have cameras in the dressing room correct? it's been givng me severe anxiety and i just dont wanna be arrest and i'm 100%i will never shoplft again it's just nt worth it.but what are my chances of still being caught?

thank you

You mean being caught going into stores you were banned from? And committing a trespass?

no i mean going back into the stores i've previously shoplifted at.not khols

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Quoting yolo12345

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no i mean going back into the stores i've previously shoplifted at.not khols

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Well, did you agree not to go back to the stores?

If not, then you can go back .. they have some time before they can file a complaint but I don't see you shopping there w/o incident affecting that decision.

Yes, you can be charged after the fact. Your picture may or may not be hanging in the LP office. And if you stole a substantial amount, possibly even by the employee timeclocks.

If you shoplifted from Target...they have their own crimelab. I'd avoid any Target within a 100 mile radius.

The rest of the stores you have stolen from...just know that your pic may be in their database.

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Quoting PandorasBox

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Yes, you can be charged after the fact. Your picture may or may not be hanging in the LP office. And if you stole a substantial amount, possibly even by the employee timeclocks.

If you shoplifted from Target...they have their own crimelab. I'd avoid any Target within a 100 mile radius.

The rest of the stores you have stolen from...just know that your pic may be in their database.

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I think that maybe the question that is being asked is different than the one we have been answering. I think that we have been answering the question based on the OP previously being banned from the stores in question.

I think that the OP is asking that IF he/she shoplifted in a store and was NOT caught, if he/she can later be arrested for the PREVIOUS shoplifting. The answer to that one is that its very unlikely.

However, while it may be unlikely, it is possible UNDER THE LAW. There is no prohibition that says if you get out of the store without being caught, the store is forever banned from prosecuting you. They have until the statute of limitations expires to charge you. You're not home free just because you weren't charged immediately.

So if you're asking for the likelihood, that's one thing. If you're asking for the legality of it, that's quite another.

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Quoting cbg

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However, while it may be unlikely, it is possible UNDER THE LAW. There is no prohibition that says if you get out of the store without being caught, the store is forever banned from prosecuting you. They have until the statute of limitations expires to charge you. You're not home free just because you weren't charged immediately.

So if you're asking for the likelihood, that's one thing. If you're asking for the legality of it, that's quite another.

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I completely agree. However, as long as the OP is not foolish enough to do it again, the OP is likely ok.

so how long from the day i shoplifted does the store have to catch me? like does that tim expire like 2 years..?

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Quoting llworking

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I completely agree. However, as long as the OP is not foolish enough to do it again, the OP is likely ok.

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It depends on how high a stores losses get and who decides to begin investigating.

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Quoting bam!

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It depends on how high a stores losses get and who decides to begin investigating.

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I always took it as a challenge...who's smarter, me or the thief.

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Quoting Security Consultant

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I always took it as a challenge...who's smarter, me or the thief.

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That's a great outlook. I will start telling my teams that perspective.

To the OP, there are many ways to clear your concious and correct your wrongs.

I work for a company that uses technology not only for AP but for sales as well. I also posted a real world article of a company that uses facial recognition and alerts store management and security on their in store mobile device.

NJ is a high risk market for alot of retailers. You can bet that they have some sort of AP tools in play. Now it's up to the people at that company to decide if it's habitual thieves, employees or paperwork losses.

I will leave you with a funny story that one of my Investigators told me.

A store was experiencing high losses in a certain section. These losses were out of the norm and had been rising for two years now. During the course of the investigation, they followed the merchandise like any good investigators do. They found out it was a paperwork error. Phew, case solved right? Yep. As he was preparing his case report, he saw something wierd. Every Tuesday (new shipment day) this same person came. Further research showed them stealing. They were ID by a neighboring retailer who had caught them.

Good luck and stop stealing.