Can I Be Charged With Shoplifting After I Have Left The Store? (2024)

FAQs

What are the chances of getting caught shoplifting after leaving store? ›

Receiving shoplifting charges after leaving store is not uncommon. As we mentioned before, it can take several weeks or even months before you get charged. It simply depends on when the retailer is ready to file charges and present their evidence to the police.

If you were able to leave the store without being stopped by an employee, you may not be as safe as you think. If the store took footage of you shoplifting and you are later identified in the footage, you can be charged with theft any time within the statute of limitations.

Answer: Yes, a defendant can commit the crime of shoplifting without actually leaving the store. All he needs to is to move the property and exercise control over it in a way that is inconsistent with the shop owner's reasonable expectations as to how shoppers will handle merchandise.

Most shoplifting cases are classified as a misdemeanor. This means that you can face shoplifting charges after leaving the store for up to 1 year after committing the crime. Sometimes it will take weeks or months for the store to file charges because of the constraints of video footage.

Unfortunately, returning a stolen item does not cancel out the intent to steal. While returning an item or asset shows remorse, you still stole the item to begin with which means you intended to break the law and proceeded to do so and keep the stolen item until you felt remorse.

Even if you successfully shoplift and exit the store without being caught, you can still be arrested. When there is missing inventory or if something distinctive is gone from the shelves, businesses may review security footage.

In some cases, you will be banned for a day and other cases you can be banned for life. While Walmart is a large chain store, you are likely going to be able to enter another Walmart without a problem. With that being said, you are also facing a risk when entering other stores after being banned.

If you complete the pretrial diversion program successfully, the theft charges against you will be dismissed entirely. Then, once two years have passed, you can request that the charges be expunged from your record.

Most stores these days have surveillance cameras to track and record the behavior of shoplifters. Shoplifters don't know if someone is watching from a distance possibly using multiple cameras, high-powered binoculars, and recording their criminal acts.

How do stores detect stolen items? ›

Besides a transmitter and receiver in the doorway, every item in the store has a concealed RF tag for theft detectors. It's used in 2 widely used EAS systems: Acousto Magnetic (AM) and radio frequency (RF). The main difference is the type of frequency they use (measured in Hertz).

A good moment to stop shoplifters is as they leave the department or the store. However, only 5 to 10 percent of shoplifters are caught. Of those caught, only some are reported to the police and fewer are sentenced (usually to a fine).

Since 2006, the police retain details of all recordable offences until you reach 100 years of age. Your conviction will always show on your police records but the conviction may not show on your criminal record check that is used for employment vetting purposes.

In its most recent Annual Retail Theft Survey, Hayes International estimated that retailers lose $15-20 billion each year to shoplifters. The average loss in 2021 was $1,178.57 per incident, an increase of 26.6% from 2020.

Store employees might interpret a customer's honest mistake as an attempt to steal property. As a result, someone who accidentally forgot to scan an item could end up facing arrest for shoplifting. In some cases, especially those involving repeated thefts, shoplifters may receive felony charges.

Accidental shoplifting does not apply to people who intended to steal something but use the “accidental excuse” once they are caught. Instead, it refers to those people who truly made a mistake, forgot to pay for the items, and who did not have the intent to deprive the store owner of that merchandise.

What Happens if You Knowingly Bought Stolen Property? It is a crime in California to knowingly possess stolen property. Failure to notify law enforcement or locate the rightful owner of stolen property can result in you facing charges.

Can you be arrested for returning a used item of clothing to a store? The short answer is – yes, it is possible.

Most Shoplifting Cases Are Resolved in Sixty to Ninety Days

The attorney asks the store, if they have their own attorney, to provide the discovery, and makes an appointment to see the video and any written statements that have been made. That may take a few weeks.

Ultimately, a person caught shoplifting may be arrested and put on trial. A shoplifting conviction will result in a criminal record and a sentence. A police caution may be given as an alternative to prosecution. If accepted, this caution still comes with a criminal record.

How do you defend yourself when accused of stealing? ›

A good moment to stop shoplifters is as they leave the department or the store. However, only 5 to 10 percent of shoplifters are caught.

In its most recent Annual Retail Theft Survey, Hayes International estimated that retailers lose $15-20 billion each year to shoplifters. The average loss in 2021 was $1,178.57 per incident, an increase of 26.6% from 2020.

Guilt: One of the Harshest Consequences of Shoplifting

They brazenly walk onto your property with a premeditated plan to break the law and victimize your organization. In fact, many of them will profess in great detail how little remorse they feel after apprehension.

You asked, “How would a store know if I stole something from them, assuming I already left the store?” Most stores these days have high definition SECURITY CAMERAS filming all day long, and the larger stores have 'theft prevention' employees dedicated to watching those films (or suspicious customers).

If a shopper is suspected of shoplifting inside of a Target store, the company's policy technically only allows Assets Protection workers to hinder suspects from exiting the store while they call law enforcement. If police officers are called onto the scene, they can legally detain the suspect.

Ultimately, a person caught shoplifting may be arrested and put on trial. A shoplifting conviction will result in a criminal record and a sentence. A police caution may be given as an alternative to prosecution. If accepted, this caution still comes with a criminal record.

Petty theft is a misdemeanor that calls for up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Shoplifting is a misdemeanor that calls for up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Grand theft classified as a misdemeanor calls for a sentence of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

You are visited or contacted by the police – The most common way to tell if the police are investigating you is if they confront you personally. You may find police showing up at your home, place of work, or reaching out to you by phone to ask questions about a criminal case.

There is no general time limit for how long a police investigation can stay open in England and Wales. For summary only offences, which are heard in the Magistrates' Court, the case must be heard within twelve months of the crime.

How do you clear your criminal record? ›

The easiest and cheapest way to find out your criminal record is to apply for a copy of your police records from the Police. You're entitled to exercise your rights to obtain information that is held about you under the Data Protection Act 1998. This process is known as a Subject Access Request.

If you're still in your rehabilitation period following a criminal conviction, your conviction is unspent. Any custodial sentence over two and a half years stays unspent. If you were found guilty of a criminal offence by a court, following the specified time-period, your conviction will be considered “spent”.