WORKER ACCUSED OF STEALING JEWELRY WORTH $18 K FROM DALLAS STORE

Although theft is a nonviolent crime, theft charges result in serious long-term consequences in Texas. In addition to jail time and restitution, a theft crime can result in a permanent criminal record that makes it very difficult for a person to ever move on with his or her life. Once a person has a record of shoplifting or embezzlement, for example, it is unlikely that an employer will ever trust the individual again. A criminal record of theft can result in a dark cloud hanging over a person for years to come.

Earlier this week a young jewelry store employee was accused of stealing from her employer in the West Village. The Dallas Police received a report that the 25-year-old had taken a $195 necklace out of the jewelry store without paying for it.

A police detective later learned that the employee had listed the necklace for sale on Craigslist. Police then found many other stolen jewelry store items in the young woman’s purse. They also searched her apartment and found additional stolen pieces of jewelry. The employee reportedly admitted to police that she had been stealing from her employer since January and that she had been selling the stolen goods online.

In total, police allege the stolen jewelry is valued at about $18,800.

Even when the evidence seems mounted against a person in a theft case, there are options to resolve the case in the most favorable way possible. The best strategy depends on the circumstances of the arrest, the defendant’s criminal history, and more. In Texas, defendants of theft crimes should seek criminal defense counsel in order to ensure their rights and short- and long-term interests are protected to the extent possible.

Source: The Dallas Morning News, “West Village jewelry store worker’s theft of $195 necklace leads to discover of $18,000 in stolen goods,” Robert Wilonsky, April 10, 2014