North Carolina convenience store employees charged after $40K theft caught on camera [Video]
A Greensboro couple is out more than $40,000 after they say two of their employees stole merchandise and lottery tickets over the course of one year. Kyu Chon and his wife moved to the United States from South Korea and have owned The Franklin Mart for eight years. After Kyu was diagnosed with leukemia, the couple decided to take a step back from 15-hour works days and hired two men to help around the store, Huu Ksor and Phuk Siu. The Chons daughter, Krystl, said in a Wednesday interview that decision was one the family wishes they could take back after surveillance cameras captured the employees allegedly stealing lottery tickets from behind the counter, scanning the bar codes and cashing in on the winning ones. “I feel devastated and heartbroken you know my parents have worked hard for so many years,” Krystl said.
The morning after the discovery, he parents dug through the dumpster and found dozens of tickets just from that week. They do not know the exact value of the stolen tickets. A spokesperson for the Greensboro Police Department confirmed both Ksor and Siu were arrested and charged with one count of felony embezzlement. Siu faces additional charges for obtaining money by false representation of physical defect, hit-and-run and larceny. The communications director for the North Carolina Education Lottery said the store owners would be responsible for the face value of the stolen tickets, but added the Lottery would pay for any “winnings” the duo might have claimed. Kyu and his wife are back to working six days a week, 15 hours a day. Krystl said now, she’s just worried her parents won’t ever be able to stop. One, they don’t have the money to hire people and another thing, they lost trust and their hope in people and I feel like I did too.” [For more: Fox8 News]
Customers, vendor subdue man who tried to steal steaks
Police say customers and vendors at a supermarket subdued a Pittsburgh man who tried to steal $150 worth of steaks. Online court records show 37-year-old Robert Twigg’s record of shoplifting and drug arrests go back 11 years. His latest arrest happened Wednesday at a Giant Eagle in the city’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. Witnesses tell police Twigg was putting the meat into a backpack when a vendor grabbed the bag, the store’s manager called 911 and customers chased Twigg and held him down until police arrived. Court records don’t list an attorney for Twigg, who was unable to post $2,000 bail and remained jailed Thursday. [For more: Yakima-Herald]
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New Jersey woman charged with shoplifting ends in drug arrest
A New Jersey woman with drug paraphernalia in her purse tried to take energy drinks, cleaning supplies and diapers valued at $223 from the Giant Food Store in Cumru Township without paying for them, police said Wednesday. Jessica L. Leyh, 39, of Mount Laurel is charged with retail theft, receiving stolen property and possessing drug paraphernalia. Leyh was arraigned Monday before District Judge Dean R. Patton and committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of $5,000 bail. According to an affidavit of probable cause: An officer was called to the supermarket for a report of a woman trying to take items without paying for them. The store’s loss prevention associate told police that Leyh had taken several energy drinks and diapers from an aisle that is regularly watched. He followed Leyh through the store and saw her put household and other items from the health and beauty aisle into her cart before leaving the store through the pharmacy exit without paying. The LP associate stopped Leyh and took her to the manager’s office. During a search after her arrest, police found several needles, burned spoons, a glass pipe, baggies and other drug paraphernalia in her purse. [For more: Berks and Beyond]
Video surveillance thwarts complicated theft scheme in Tennessee
An elaborate bait-and-switch scheme by a couple of would-be thieves at a local building supply store may have almost worked, except for one thing, all their maneuverings were caught on video. A report at the Paris Police Department taken at 5 p.m. Tuesday detailed the comings and goings of a pair of men who had visited the store on Memorial Drive at least four times in May, three times coming away with a theft. The report indicates one of the men’s identities is known, he’s from Tennessee Ridge, but he hasn’t been arrested yet. His accomplice’s identity hasn’t been uncovered yet. The scheme apparently began when the two men visited the store May 13 and bought an air conditioning unit. After paying for it and taking it to the parking lot and loading it onto a truck, the men re-entered the store moments later. They had pushed an identical AC unit into an easy-to-find spot and the men began pushing it out the door. When a store employee stopped them, they showed him the receipt for the first air conditioner and he let them exit the store with the second one, valued at $657.40.
The next night, the Tennessee Ridge man entered the store shortly before closing time and purchased 15 boxes of flooring. Again, a second box was left in an easy-to-find spot, and the accomplice returned the next day, May 15, and took that second box to the customer service desk. He showed the store employee a receipt (the one used for the first box the night before) and got a refund of $905.44. The third incident was on May 20. Both men were in the store and the Tennessee Ridge man again bought an air conditioning unit. He got a receipt at the checkout desk, then laid that receipt down before leaving the store. The accomplice came along, picked up the receipt and pushed a second AC unit out the door, again showing the false receipt as “proof” of purchase. This was also a $657.40 value. That’s a total of $2,220.24 stolen during that group of visits. [For more: Post-Intelligencer]
Four adults, two juveniles arrested in Texas organized theft ring
Four adults and two juveniles accused of working together to steal thousands of dollars worth of clothing are behind bars. The accused suspects were busted by Robstown Police on June 30th at the Outlets at Corpus Christi Bay. According to Robstown Police, 17-year-old Tiffany Cortez, 20-year-old Angel Espinoza, 20-year-old Crystal Regalado, 32-year-old Gustavo Chapa and two juveniles were arrested for engaging in organized criminal activity. The six suspects are accused of collaborating a theft of more than $2,000 worth of clothing from the Express store at the Outlets at Corpus Christi Bay. According to Robstown Police, Cortez and Espinoza committed the theft while Regalado, Chapa and the two juveniles distracted store employees. The bust was accomplished through a collaboration of Robstown Police and loss prevention from the outlets working together. [For more: Action10 News]