I have recently been charged with retail fraud 1st degree, two counts. I was apprehended inside a retail store and the items taken came to about $325. The security personnel threated to take me to jail, etc., if I didn't allow him to come back to my home and search it for additional merchadise that he believed I had taken. I agreed only because I had my 2 year old son with me (please don't judge me, it was stupid but you don't know the situation I was in...I was trying to feed my family). At any rate, I allowed them to search my home. The security guy took everything and anything he felt could have been from his store and accused me of taking other things that he felt he had on video tape. He felt I was steeling things because he saw me looking at them on the store camera and didn't see me put them back down. He didn't apprehend me at that time to be able to accuse me of anything. He feels because he took things from me in my home that I should have another count against me, thus, accusing me of shoplifting at another time as well. Is this valid?
Also, the total amount, even if he added in the other items he took from my home (that were not stolen) are alot less that $1000. So why am I being charged with 1st degree? I don't understand! :cry:

