Florida Man Arrested for Shoplifting After Job Interview at Kohl’s

Booking photo of Dominick Breedlove, a suspect in a case of retail theft in Spring Hill, Fla. Hernando County Sheriff's Office

A Florida man who interviewed for a Kohl’s department store job ended up in handcuffs after deputies said he tried to steal a pair of shoes.

The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office was cited by Bay News as saying that Dominick Breedlove went to the Kohl’s store in Spring Hill on Wednesday, Dec. 5, with the intention of landing a job.

Deputies were called to the scene in response to allegations of a shoplifting attempt in progress.

Shop staff told the responding officers that the suspect had come to the store earlier in the day for a job interview. After his meeting with Human Resources, Breedlove allegedly went to the shoe department and scoured the selection of Nike sneakers on display for a pair that did not have a security tag.

According to a CBS12 report, after rummaging through the shoes, Breedlove went to his car to get a plastic Kohl’s bag from a previous shopping trip, and then went back to the shoe department. He then allegedly placed two pairs of shoes in the bag and walked out of the store.

A loss prevention officer noticed Breedlove’s actions, Fox32 reported, and called the police.

Deputies accosted the alleged shoplifter in the parking lot, en route to his car, and made the arrest.

The suspect is accused of trying to steal a pair of women’s Nike sneakers priced at $80, and another pair valued at $70, according to the report.

Breedlove told deputies he planned to give the shoes to his mother as a gift, according to WFLA.

The sheriff’s office added that Kohl’s did not offer Breedlove a job.

A Serious Crime

Shoplifting in Florida is treated as a serious crime.

A retail theft conviction can impact employment opportunities and affect a person’s ability to get credit, according to Yale Galanter, a Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyer.

Florida laws defines retail theft as “the taking possession of or carrying away of merchandise, property, money, or negotiable documents; altering or removing a label, universal product code, or price tag; transferring merchandise from one container to another; or removing a shopping cart, with intent to deprive the merchant of possession, use, benefit, or full retail value.”

The penalties for a shoplifting charge depend on the value of the stolen goods and the defendant’s prior criminal history.

If the value of the stolen merchandise is less than $100, the defendant faces a second-degree misdemeanor charge punishable by up to 60 days in jail and/or up to a $500 fine.

Shoplifters in the state of Florida found to have at least two prior convictions on their record would face a third-degree felony charge.

A Widespread Problem

According to National Association for Shoplifting Prevention figures,  shoplifting is a surprisingly common crime, with about 1 in 11 people in the US allegedly having committed retail theft.

In the last five years alone, the organization claims, over 10 million people have been caught shoplifting.

Shoplifters themselves reportedly claim that they get caught on average once every 48 times they steal.