Shoplifting From a Store With Friends

[Ejm169]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: New Jersey

I was at the mall today. I bought a shirt from a retail store and decided to walk into Boscovs. ( 2 relatives work there. ) While in the store I saw an item I liked and I decided I was going to buy it on our way out, it was less than $10. On our way downstairs, I spotted an item I liked. It was a messenger bag listed for 69.99 because it was on sale. I didn't have the money and I was curious in just taking it ( in all honesty, I decided to steal it and sell it for higher value and give the money to my mother because she is struggling financially. ) I told my friends if they can help me and they said sure. So I decided to grab the item I was interested in buying prior to seeing the messenger bag and decided to buy it as a distraction to the associate in the area. As I was at the counter making the purchase of the item that was less than $10, they put the messenger bag in a bag I was using at the moment. ( They had my bag, I didn't. ) I finished making the purchase and we walked out with the messenger bad we took. LP never came for us, no sensors went off and we were in the parking lot for more than 8 minutes and no one came out. I'm feeling quite guilty at the moment because I'm not a theif. I'm a student in high school that has decent grades, a steady part time job which I have been working at for more than 9 months. I'm practically an angel. Should I return the bag and act like nothing happened? Or should I act like nothing happened? I don't want any of my relatives getting fired for my stupid actions. (other associates know I have family that work there, it'd look bad) Please help me out on what to do, I honestly feel guilty.

[jk]

I'm feeling quite guilty at the moment because I'm not a theif.

you may not be a theif but you are a thief.

. I'm practically an angel.

obviously a liar as well

I don't want any of my relatives getting fired for my stupid actions.

a little late to think about that now. Of course you and all your friends could spend a little time in jail for your stupidity.\

Should I return the bag and act like nothing happened? Or should I act like nothing happened?

but something did happen; you stole the bag. You cannot undo the crime.

Please help me out on what to do, I honestly feel guilty.

good. you deserve to feel guilty.

[Ejm169]

No but in all honesty, should I return the bag at the same spot? I literally did this for money. We're struggling and it sucks.

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also an fyi, there was no cameras in the section. I'm kinda disappointed in my self..

[jk]

No but in all honesty, should I return the bag at the same spot? I literally did this for money. We're struggling and it sucks

.there have been times in my life I went with very little food. To this day I loathe mac and cheese. I never resorted to theft to supplement my income.
just how would you return the thing? Walk in and say; Hey, I stole this but had second thoughts and want to give it back?

maybe; Hey, I found this on the sidewalk outside the store and figured you might want it back.

seriously, you have already committed a crime. You can't just undo that.

[Ejm169]

Oh trust me, I agree with you on everything. However, can I just put it back on the rack and just walk away? Or should I contact LP and explain to them what I did and just want to be honest and be more than welcome to return the merchandise..? Please help me out, I'm not asking for sympathy; just an alternative that can help me out.

[jk]

also an fyi, there was no cameras in the section. I'm kinda disappointed in my self..

and this comes from a person that doesn't steal regularly? It is usually the career criminals that know where there are cameras and where there aren't cameras.


I have no idea what a Boscov's is but I will tell you something about security cameras; unless you are privy to actual knowledge of where they are and aren't, you really have no idea if there is a camera viewing that spot or not. I have been in a few security rooms in my time. I saw well over 100 DVR's in one and each one was connected to a camera. If you tried to find them you never would. They can be hidden so well you would never see it.

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Oh trust me, I agree with you on everything. However, can I just put it back on the rack and just walk away? Or should I contact LP and explain to them what I did and just want to be honest and be more than welcome to return the merchandise..? Please help me out, I'm not asking for sympathy; just an alternative that can help me out.

let's see;

you walk into the store with a bag that is obviously new and you have no receipt. Your answer to the question; did you steal that? would be what?



or option #2; admitting guilt to a crime makes the prosecutor's job really easy if the store decides to call the police.


you cannot undo the crime. There is no easy way out here.

[Ejm169]

Boscovs is a retail store that sells many things, from home decor to clothing and home appliances. Trust me, there have been many thefts here that people steal high priced items and never been caught. However it's the fact that I feel guilty and highly paranoid..

[comment/ator]

You are using all the justifications and all the arguments that go along with being of a "theif" mindset. I'm owed, I don't want my friends to get in trouble, I did it to help my poor sick momma, I'm practically an angel, after all, I do go to school and make decent grades, but we're struggling.......If you haven't stolen before, you've thought about it. You know better. You'll do it again. The people you run around with are theifs too. They knew you stole something. They'll tell on you if they get half a chance. That your relatives work there will not have anything much to do with your stealing something or their jobs (we'll fire you because your nephew shoplifted from us!) unless they directly aided you or allowed you to get away with it.

The guilty and paranoid things you allege you are feeling right now is a sort of high. You'll become addicted to it and continue to steal until you are caught.