Taken in aggregate, that's felony theft.The value of what I took totalled $505.00.
In the state of New Jersey, merchants are permitted to demand a Civil Penalty of $150 for each occurrence of shoplifting.I also had to write a separate check for $1050.00which represented (7) civil charges against me (@$150.00 each), for the seven returns I had made without a receipt.
It could have been a lot worse. They could have demanded the Civil Penalties AND brought in the police AND dragged you off to court.

