While shopping with her infant child recently at an Orlando area department store, a young mother was stopped and accused of shoplifting items by the store’s loss prevention officer. Specifically, store employees identified our client as placing store merchandise into her baby stroller and not paying for the items. Police were called and responded to the scene and a sworn affidavit was filed with the Orange County State Attorney’s office claiming criminal theft.
Attorney N. Fleetwood Tilden of Tilden Law handled the case to a successful conclusion. Upon reviewing the allegations and supporting documents provided by our client, Mr. Tilden contacted the Orange County State Attorney’s office and provided detailed information and defenses to the charges.
Within weeks of being hired, Mr. Tilden was able to inform our client of our success in petitioning the State Attorney to dismiss all criminal charges.
If you have been charged with the crime of theft or shoplifting in the Orange County, Seminole County or the Orlando, Florida area, please contact the experienced theft defense attorneys at Tilden Law for an initial and confidential consultation, 407-599-1234.
Over the past ten years, six men have been running a shoplifting scheme in central Florida which has been estimated to have cost Publix millions of dollars. The men, all from central Florida, are mostly in their fifties and used their ages to gain sympathy from the stores allowing them to used motorized carts which facilitated their crimes. They worked with a 22 year old who is the son of one of the suspects. The youngest of this crime ring, he would help to sell the stolen items on Ebay and through local flea markets.
One of the men, Gary Powell, would load his pockets with all types of beauty products. In some instances, the 56 year old man shoplifted as many as 75 packs of Gillette Fusion razor blades each worth about $22.00. Powell hid the stolen items in his clothing or in Publix shopping bags.
It is estimated that the ring of members stealing razors, vitamins and hygiene items were racking up about $60,000 a week in stolen goods. The money however, was used to purchase drugs to support the men’s habits. The case is being handled by the Florida Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.
If you have been arrested for theft in Orange County or Seminole County, Florida, call the experienced attorney’s at Tilden law for your free initial consultation.