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Can You be Charged if You Flee from the Store After Attempted Shoplifting

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  • 06-05-2016, 05:12 AM
    nsipl
    Can You be Charged if You Flee from the Store After Attempted Shoplifting
    My question involves criminal law for the state of: INDIANA

    First of all I am completely humiliated to even be typing this but I can not stop thinking about it..
    I do not have any prior charges. This would be my first offense

    To be completely blunt and honest about it all, The other day i was at home depot and i attempted to shoplift a battery operated dewalt Nailgun that was valued at $399.

    I am not sure why i did other than to use it so i can try and make some extra money for my family since times are tough. I honestly can not believe i would do something like that, but i did. Maybe thats why i am still so bothered and embarrassed about the whole situation cause i was raised better than that.

    I am trying this to see if anyone has any similar situations or can give me a little insight.

    I put a nailgun inside another larger box of an item i was going to purchase(kitchen sink). I headed to the cash register to pay for the other items and an employee came up and said they needed to check the box because it had been opened, I politely said ok, then they proceeded to look in the box, so i turned around and rushed out of the store to my car and left the cart of items at the register. I got in my car and drove off..
    The employees did not chase me ( i don't think they are supposed to) but i didnt hang out to long to see what they did.
    I know they walked out of the store behind me, but thats it.


    I guess my question here is, what do i need to do? OR What should I expect?
    I called the store later that day and spoke with a manager ( i don't think the manager i talked to was working at the time of the incident) and told her what happened and that it was not like me to do something like that and apologized ( i know that doesn't change what i did) but i was honestly sorry about it, again, this whole ordeal is Unlike me. I know an apology won't erase what happened but i felt as a human being that i needed and wanted to do that. I know some of you will say " your only sorry cause you got caught" well that is not the case, heck i would have probably felt guilty if i would have got away with it.

    I am completely humiliated and embarrassed about the whole situation and wish it never had happened.
    Please do not try and beat me down here, trust me i have beat myself down enough, I'm sick and can't sleep hardly.

    I am just curious as what could happen next or what i should do.

    Should I call and tell another manager and hopefully get to speak with the one who was working?
    Should i forget about it? I just don't know what to do.

    Thank you in advance
  • 06-05-2016, 06:43 AM
    flyingron
    Re: Attempted Shoplifting at Home Depot
    Actually, it's not attempted shoplifting, it is just shoplifting. Once you exerted control over the item you're guilty of conversion or theft. Indiana is kind of odd in it doesn't have a statutory boundary between misdemeanor and felony charges in these circumstances.

    If they decided to file a complaint with the police, you may be expecting charges. As you seem to understand, regret for having committed the offense doesn't change the legal aspects of it.

    You should do the following:

    1. Shut up about your criminal behavior. Baring your soul doesn't make things right, it just gives more evidence of your guilt.
    2. Stay out of that Home Depot.
    3. If the police or prosecutor call, decline to speak to them without an attorney.

    If I were you, I'd be researching which attorney I'd be calling if I were to be charged.
  • 06-05-2016, 09:00 AM
    jk
    Re: Attempted Shoplifting at Home Depot
    And while a nail gun is handy, a hammer has sufficed for thousands of years prior to the invention of nail guns. You can probably pick up a used one for nearly nothing. Heck, you could probably find somebody to donate one to you or at least lend you one for awhile.

    Your reasoning makes for a very unbelievable story. I wouldn't expect Home Depot, the police, or the prosecutor to believe your story.
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