Dallas Cowboys WR charged with shoplifting, cut from team
The Dallas Cowboys have released wide receiver Lucky Whitehead after learning that he has been charged with shoplifting/petit larceny and failed to appear for his court hearing. The Prince William County Police Department in Woodbridge, VA, reported that Whitehead walked out of a Wawa convenience store around 1:30 am on June 22 without paying for his items, which totaled less than $200. Whitehead then failed to show for the July 6 arraignment, which exacerbated the charge against him.
Whitehead and his agent have denied the allegations, claiming a case of mistaken identity. According to his flight records, Whitehead did not arrive in the DC area until 10 hours after the alleged crime occurred. However, Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones says the decision to release Whitehead is due to a “culmination of things” and is not just a response to the suspected shoplifting incident. [For more: ESPN]
Walmart’s new facial recognition tech
According to a recent patent filing, Walmart is developing a facial recognition technology that will be used to detect whether shoppers are frustrated or dissatisfied. The aim is to provide better and more efficient customer service to those customers who need help before they have the opportunity to voice their discontent. Business Insider reports that Walmart will use the data gathered from the cameras to address staffing needs and track purchase behavior. It is unclear whether the tech will also be used to detect potential shoplifters. Although the retailer dipped its toe into the facial recognition space in 2015, it discontinued the experiment after citing that the tech wasn’t showing a strong return on investment. [For more: Business Insider]
Target employee caught shipping stolen items—to herself
A Target employee in Bristol, CT, is now facing charges after shipping herself nearly $5,600 in stolen merchandise from the store. Back in April, a Target asset protection employee noticed Bonnie Davis taking merchandise off of store shelves and taking it to the delivery area, where she proceeded to package it up and ship it to her home address. The AP employee reported the theft. According to the Southington Police, most of the stolen merchandise consisted of electronic items. Davis has been charged with third-degree larceny. [For more: Record Journal]
Police on lookout for suspect in felony shoplifting
The McDonough Police Department (McDonough, GA) are still on the lookout for a suspect in a felony shoplifting incident that took place earlier this month. The suspect, who has been identified from photos as Cedric Sherod Whitby, is reported to have stolen over $6K in blue jeans from a JCPenney store. According to the Henry Herald, the suspect entered the store with a woman, who helped him gather an estimated 102 pairs of Levi’s into a bag and a shopping cart. Another customer noticed the strange behavior and took photos of the pair as they exited the store without paying and deposited the stolen merchandise into a gold Jeep Liberty before driving away. The customer was also able to snag the vehicle’s license plate number, which has been turned over to the police. [For more: Henry Herald]
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