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  1. #1

    Default My Shoplifting Story, Start to Almost the End

    My question involves criminal law for the state of: Lets just call it the South


    Hello everyone I found this site and it is a wealth of information. Here is my story.

    I am in my 30's make 100K plus a year and I got off on the high of shoplifting. It sounds stupid, but I enjoyed the thrill of not getting caught. I think I have been doing it to some extent for about 20 years. I imagine I have "borrowed 10;s of thousands of dollars of crap over the years.

    I was caught shoplifting at a major department store in December 2009. The store had theft sensors when you left so I figured it was easy to load up for the holidays. BUSTED. I was leaving the store and the LP guy caught me as I was leaving and it was over. Took me back to the security room, got my information, and called the cops. As I was sitting back there I saw the camera equipment they had and it was pretty impressive. They were watching others they thought were about to shoplift and it was amazing how easily the cameras could follow and zoom to watch what was going on. After a couple hours the cops showed up issued me a citation and I was on my way. I have to admit I was a little freaked out but relieved to leave.

    About a month later I had to show up for court for the booking process. I didn’t know I would go to court immediately after booking I just thought I would get a court date at that time. When I figured out court was happening next I texted my sister in law (my wife freaked out and told her the night it happened) who works with most of the judges and District Attorneys for help. Her spoke to another DA who told her to tell me to ask for an under advisement plea and if I don’t get it to ask for a court date. I didn't get it as result of an old DUI when I was in college. Now it’s time to Lawyer up

    Hired an attorney my Sis in Law's DA friend recommended at a friend rate ($400 normally $800) for this type of work. He advised me to go ahead and take the shoplifting class and wait for the court date. Our goal was not to let this get on my record. Court was today

    Making a long story short my attorney was telling me the DA was being an ass to start off with. 11 months 29 days suspended sentence and 199 hours of community service and it stays on my record. Not going to happen. I feel I should also mention that not only was the cop who wrote the citation in court but so was the Loss prevention guy. I told my attorney I would pay fines, donate to charity, etc, but I could not have this on my record. He was getting to the point where he thought he would have to take it to the next level of court (later date/different judge=more money$$). He kept going back to the DA and kept pleading my case and my end result was......


    Under advisement plea - 60 hours of Community service- charges dismissed after I show proof of completion during my next court date in late July. The drawback, I cannot pick the community service. I have to work at the recycling center at the other side of town.


    My attorney earned his money but the lesson of the story is..Don’t shoplift. I learned my lesson. Guys/Gals---camera technology is crazy and just because they don’t have the black domes in the ceiling dont think someone is not watching. If this is your first time being busted it doesn’t matter if you have ANY type of previous conviction. The courts typically only give you one freebee ...I got lucky.

    My days of shoplifting are over. When I took my shoplifting class in January there were only two of us in class, me and this lady in her 60s. This was the second time she was busted and the first person I ever spoke to who identified the rush you get when shoplifting. Its an addiction....you might get away with it a few times...or over 20 years like me. But you will get busted..Just don’t do it. Thanks for reading.....best of luck to those who going through the system now.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    154

    Default Re: My Shoplifting Story-Start to Almost the End

    What you did was dumb! Of course you can easily pay for the items because you make a lot of $$ per year. Geez!

  3. #3

    Default Re: My Shoplifting Story-Start to Almost the End

    Well, My community service work is done as of last week. Of the 60 hours completed I think I was only there about 15 hours. I have to admit, the shoplifting demon is gone. I will post again after my court date to show proof of Community Service completion. Good luck to thouse still going through the process

  4. #4

    Default Re: My Shoplifting Story-Start to Almost the End

    The Final Chapter


    So I went to court they asked for proof of CS completion which I provided and I left. They said they would mail me the amount of my court cost which amounted to $246. When I received the postcard..I went back to the court clerks offfice and paid the charges. To get the charge expunged I had to fill out some additional paperwork and they said it takes 30 days to process. They will mail me proof of the expungement.

    The Shoplifting demon is still gone and I have not stolen anything since that fatefull december in 2009. I do have an eye for noticing people who I suspect of shoplifting and following them around to watch them. How hard would it be to get a part time job watching cameras in retail for Loss prevention?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    15

    Default Re: My Shoplifting Story-Start to Almost the End

    Well as you have realized reformed crooks make the best LPs. The old adage it takes one to know one is very true.

    The problem with getting hired as a LP is the high probability the retailer who caught you entered you into a no hire database. there are several out there and some retailers subscribe and report to several and as far as I know they are under no obligation to inform you of this.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Posts
    8,006

    Default Re: My Shoplifting Story-Start to Almost the End

    It would be incredibly hard for you to get a job in LP in a store. No company that I know of would hire someone with a history/habit of stealing merchandise. Like having the wolf guard the sheep. That being said, some companies use investigators who don't necessarily go into the store, to deal with high level and ORC situations. I'm not saying you have a good chance at something like that but you do have experience from the other side of the coin so to speak that might be useful.

    Every company I worked LP for, when we hired, if we saw they had any kinds of theft conviction went to the bottom of the pile.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    6,808

    Default Re: My Shoplifting Story-Start to Almost the End

    I do have to agree....you would think someone who shoplifted would know the tricks.....

    Reading here....wow....amazing how many tricks there are!

    And having worked retail....I see where a lot of LP's make themselves too obvious....like it's winter, it's cold out, and someone is wandering the store with no coat, no purse....while pretending to be a customer. And all the other customers are wearing coats.....

    And then you have the obvious shoplifter....it's summer....person comes in wearing a bulky heavy coat.....you know darn well to focus those cameras on that person.

    Of course, I can see where stores don't want an LP who has shoplifted....who will keep an eye on the LP?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    NW of KSTL
    Posts
    2,554

    Default Re: My Shoplifting Story-Start to Almost the End

    Quote Quoting Khaman
    View Post
    Well as you have realized reformed crooks make the best LPs. The old adage it takes one to know one is very true.
    Put down the crackpipe and take a step back into reality! If you believe that line of crap, then I got some awesome Gulf-front property to sell ya........pre-lubed too!

    Quote Quoting free9man
    View Post
    It would be incredibly hard for you to get a job in LP in a store. No company that I know of would hire someone with a history/habit of stealing merchandise. Like having the wolf guard the sheep.......
    Now there's a firm grip on reality!!!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    15

    Default Re: My Shoplifting Story-Start to Almost the End

    Quote Quoting souperdave
    View Post
    Put down the crackpipe and take a step back into reality! If you believe that line of crap, then I got some awesome Gulf-front property to sell ya........pre-lubed too!
    What are you talking about? Once you have been in the position of committing the same crimes over and over and you take a step back you can see the same actions, mannerisms, and tactics you once used. I used to be a very prolific lifter and I did it for the thrill but I was never caught. When I switched sides I could honestly say I was never convicted of a crime and my misspent youth made me very good at my job. These days the technology available to low end stores is expansive and very affordable making lifting much harder. A LP no longer has to hide in the ceiling or around a corn to watch you they just zoom in from across the store with cameras that can read the routing number on a check.

    If you don't believe that ex-crooks are some of the best on the job look at Frank Abagnale Jr. He forged checks totaling over 2.5 million in 26 countries. After prison he has made millions as a security consultant for banks and most of the fraud detection security on modern checks is his doing.

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