The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
Three people in Florida were charged for their alleged participation in robbing more than $750 worth of merchandise from a Tommy Hilfiger store.
On the evening of August 27, two women went into a Tommy Hilfiger store in Orlando.
According to the employees, the pair used shopping bags from the store to hold the items they took from the shelves. The women reportedly “began selecting clothes without checking for sizes.”
Due to past experiences with shoplifters, the employees stated that the women’s actions seemed to fit the profile.
When they believed that the suspects were trying to take the clothing without paying, an employee called the authorities.
An officer went to the location, and the employees reported that the two suspects quickly left using the emergency exit. It was reported that they got into a white Escalade after they were retrieved by the driver.
About 2 hours after the reported theft, an Escalade that the authorities believed was connected to the robbery was pulled over.
When the officer approached the vehicle, the driver was identified as 49-year-old Frank Germaine. The two passengers were identified as 23-year-old Ramiya Johnson and 26-year-old Kelah Hoffman.
The officer noted that Johnson and Hoffman were wearing Hilfiger shirts. The sales tags were reportedly hanging from the outside of the collar on the shirt Johnson was wearing.
Four Tommy Hilfiger shopping bags filled with clothing were reportedly retrieved from the vehicle. Many of them appeared to be Hilfiger merchandise, and some items had sales tags from Marshalls.
Germaine reportedly said he had loaned out the vehicle at the time of the alleged theft. The police noted that he later said the women offered him money to give them a ride.
When the police talked to Johnson, she allegedly initially gave them a fake name and date of birth. At first, she reportedly said she had nothing to do with taking clothing from the stores, but Johnson reportedly changed her story and said Hoffman gave her money to do it.
Hoffman was asked about the allegations, and she disclosed that Germaine picked her up around 6:00 pm. She did not supply any further details to the officers.
All three suspects were taken into custody. They are each facing charges for suspicion of felony burglary, grand theft, and retail theft. Johnson is facing an additional charge for providing a false identity to a law enforcement agent.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.