Man Charged with Retail Theft in Baby Formula Incident

"Loss prevention officers" at a Chicago store detained and turned over to police a man accused of attempting to steal several containers of baby formula. The arrest happened at just before 8:00 a.m. on Sunday at a drug store when employees say they saw the 55-year-old man filling several bags with containers of baby formula. The man then walked past the registers and attempted to leave the store with the items. Loss prevention officers approached the man before he passed though the entrance/exit doors but he dropped the bags and tried to run away according to reports. The officer grabbed the man and detained him until police arrived. He was then taken into custody on retail theft charges. Have you been charged with a crime? A criminal defense attorney may be able to help you avoid imprisonment and other penalties.

The containers of baby formula in the man's bags were reported to have a value of nearly $350. Since the items were recovered immediately, he was charged with a misdemeanor. Theft offenses such as shoplifting or retail theft can be assessed as a misdemeanor or felony depending on the value of the items alleged stolen and other circumstances. Felony charges can be assessed in cases where the value of the items is over $150 but this is not automatically so. Penalties can include several months in jail, fines, restitution, community service and more if you are convicted of a misdemeanor offense. A felony conviction can result in substantially harsher punishment. Theft crimes such as burglary, robbery, carjacking and similar offenses involving violence or threat of violence are nearly always felonies and can mean years in prison.

Don't face a theft offense charge on your own!

The stakes are high even in misdemeanor non-violent theft cases so it is crucial that you have an experienced criminal defense lawyer fighting for you. Contact our firm today to schedule a free initial consultation to find out what an attorney with us may be able to do for your case. The Law Offices of Mitch Furman and Associates was established to provide clients in the Chicago area with knowledgeable, aggressive defense representation. We understand how stressful and even frightening being arrested and charged with a crime can be. You should never feel like you are on your own in this situation—we may be able to get the charges against you reduced or dismissed.