If I was seen shoplifting but dropped the stolen item and ran, Will I be prosecuted?
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If I was seen shoplifting but dropped the stolen item and ran, Will I be prosecuted?
My friend attempted to shoplift from Best Buy. He
made it out the door and then security tried to stop
him. He dropped the stolen item worth about 60-70
and ran. He was not stopped. Will they try to find out
who he is and prosecute him? This happened in
Maryland
Asked on April 28, 2019 under Criminal Law, Maryland
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
We can't say if they will or won't, since that depends on the personalities and values of the persons involved (e.g. store management): do they feel it's worth their time, given that they got the item back? do they feel that anyone who tries to steal from must be punished? etc.
What we can say is that dropping or returning the item after first illegally taking it is NOT a defense: he is legally as guilty as if he got away with the stolen item. So if they want to pursue this, he could be charged.
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